


What Lies Ahead

by Cenobia100



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hyrule is larger than in-game, Link talks in this, M/M, Pre-Calamity, Teacher-Student Friendship, well... at least it starts out that way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-02-28 10:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 51,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13269894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cenobia100/pseuds/Cenobia100
Summary: The Calamity affects all who come into contact with it, past, present and future. A Prophecy holds all the power and the Champions must be chosen.This is the story of Revali, an orphaned Rito who receives the chance of a lifetime.This is the story of Link, a child of destiny who has been forced onto his fate.This is the story of Zelda, a goddess reborn yet with no power of her own.This is the story of the Calamity and a story of what lies ahead.(Primarily a Revalink fic with a focus on world building and character development).(21/09/2018 - Dang, I updated!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What Lies Ahead is my attempt at a true Revalink fic. We'll be updating once a week, every Friday with a new chapter so I can pace myself and write in my own time. I'm already on Chapter 4 so we've at least got three guaranteed posted chapters before I inevitably lose interest and or stop writing.
> 
> This is a very different fic to the ones posted before. This details the characters in very different circumstances and documents their journey from their first meetings all the way to their canon-selves. What caused Link to become selectively mute? When did Zelda come to hate Link? Stuff like that. It's a slow burn and definitely a gradual story. 
> 
> And I hope you all enjoy, even if the first few paragraphs are hilariously generic and weirdly off-putting. It was designed that way.

The land of Hyrule was in danger. The Calamity Ganon was threatening to rise once more, ready to cause the end of the world as everyone knew it. But there was a plan, an operation to save the lands and it's people. And it required one brave Champion from each of the four surrounding regions of Hyrule to pilot ancient Divine Beasts to seal away the darkness.

The Goron Tribe had Daruk, their Chief, who was blessed with an unwavering spirit and a steely defence. The Gerudo Tribe had Urbosa, the reigning leader of Gerudo Town, who's experience in battle was only matched by her quick wit and sass. The Zora Tribe had Mipha, their Princess, who's compassion and grace was only matched by her healing prowess, able to fix any wounds.

And yet there was still one Tribe unaccounted for. The Rito Tribe, a fabled species who evolved to take flight, large bird-like creatures who soared on the winds. While the other Tribes had selected a Champion, the Rito were… struggling.

For as the Princess of Hyrule herself, Zelda, made the journey to the Rito Village, making her way through the Tabantha highlands, the Rito were all panicked. They had raised Vah Medoh from the depths of their lake and allowed it rest on a land far to the west, they had agreed to Hyrule's requests for a Champion to be found, and yet they were soon to discover, none of their candidates had what Zelda deemed was needed to be their Champion.

"What about Tiro, he's one of our best soldiers?" The Elder Rito, an ancient owl-like bird with greying feathers, asked as the blonde princess of Hyrule shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that nobody within this group of Rito you've suggested has what it takes to fly Vah Medoh." Zelda turned her eyes to the ground, a worried frown forcing it's way onto her face. "Oh, whatever will I do? Father expects a Rito Champion to be found."

"Well, Princess of Hyrule, may we adjourn for now. Perhaps in the morning we may find a solution," The Elder crooned, eyes darting to the afternoon sky above. He seemed keen to get her out of his hut as fast as possible, so she felt no reason to stay any further.

"Yes, that seems wise. Thank you for your help so far, Elder," Zelda bowed, giving a small nod to the other Rito as she took her leave, not noticing the rather annoyed look the Elder gave to his attendants as she stepped out of the roost.

Zelda's perpetual frown seemed to stick to her features as she walked through the village towards the Inn, a pair of Hylian guards waiting for her outside. She knew that there had to be a suitable Champion for the Divine Beast in this town.

But there was one difference between the Rito and the other Tribes. A matter of status and royalty. Unsurprisingly, the other Champions were all of noble birth, from Daruk's status as the Chief of the Gorons, to Urbosa's rule of Gerudo Town and Mipha being a princess like herself.

She had hoped that a relative of the Elder would make themselves known, but the only candidate, a young Rito boy named Kaneli, was not old enough to be considered, despite his clear eagerness to help out.

"Do you mind if I go for a walk?" She said to one of the guards outside the Inn. Naturally they began to freak out, wondering if she'd be alright for five minutes on her own. She put her hands on her hips and stared them down, giving a great big huff as she did so. Finally, they relented, although one of the guards dis remind her that she had a small dagger in her belt in case things went south. She hoped she didn't have to use it.

"I'll be back in a little while," She explained, deciding to take a walk around the village. Though she was on official business, it wouldn't hurt to look at the sites as she went. She rarely got time to relax with the iron grip her father had on her and although she knew he'd be angry at her for her walk, she'd be damned if she couldn't help being rebellious just this once.

After a few minutes of wandering, she'd noticed a rather large wooden landing that seemed to jut out from the rest of the city. It was sparsely decorated, save for a white icon of a bird, some orange highlights and a few docks that she assumed the Rito would leap from to fly. The view of the Hebra mountain range was gorgeous, with it's snow capped peaks and the sun high in the sky.

"H-Hey! Give me that back!?"

Zelda's eyes darted behind her at the sound of a rather angry Rito, but she wasn't expecting someone to bump her backwards as she turned. She slipped backwards a few paces before turning to look at her aggressor, annoyed that someone had the audacity and the lack of manners to just push her out of the way.

"Sorry, but I've got places to be, targets to shoot, people to see," A rather arrogant sounding voice called out from the Rito that had just pushed her out of the way. She noticed the figure turn to look back at the town and finally got a good glimpse of this confrontational Rito. His feathers were a dark navy blue with white patches on his head and wings. He wore a dark red tunic with golden highlights and had sparkling confident green eyes that caused Zelda to stop in her tracks.

Something about this Rito, it commanded her attention.

"You can't just take a bow from the armory, Revali!" The angry Rito from before shouted, stepping past Zelda to the platform.

So his name was Revali? That was already more than she'd known about the Rito. He seemed to be around her age if she knew her Rito biology right, his voice certainly wasn't old or gravelly. But before she could approach herself, now curious about this new character, Revali turned away from the group and leaped from the Landing.

"R-Revali! Wait till the Elder hears about this!" The robbed Rito squawked, feathers ruffled up in annoyance.

Despite her initial reaction to being pushed, she couldn't help but let out a little giggle to herself when she was sure nobody was paying attention. Perhaps it would be wise to see just who this Revali character was and why he wasn't selected by the Elder as a possible candidate for Vah Medoh.

"Excuse me, Sir?" She asked, walking over to the fuming black feathered Rito at the edge of the landing. He turned to her, expression stormy until he realized just who had addressed him.

"P-Princess? You didn't just see that did you?" He spluttered out, clearly concerned about what had just taken place.

"I'm afraid I did," She chuckled, giving him a warm smile. "But don't worry, I actually wanted to ask you about that Rito, Revali was it?" She tried to put on her most polite accent, while giving the black feathered Rito a welcoming smile.

The black feathered Rito raised a brow at this before stating, "Why'd you be interested in him of all people?"

"I'm just curious," She admitted, leaning against the railing of the landing, letting herself look out onto the mountains once more. "Does he cause you trouble like that on the regular then?"

The Rito snorted. "Revali's the biggest troublemaker in town. If you don't mind me saying, Princess, he's an arrogant brat."

That was blunt. She did get the air of arrogance when she saw him, she had to admit. But it seemed like this Rito had a real vendetta against the bird or something. "What about his parents? Did they not teach him good manners?"

"His mother died when he was young and his father went missing soon after," The Rito replied, his voice turning somber. "Now he just drifts around town, proclaiming he's our best archer and steals my bows when I'm not looking."

"Does he not have an adopted family or somewhere he can stay?" Zelda inquired. Now she was concerned for Revali. From that last comment, it implied that the townspeople weren't on friendly terms with Revali. "Does anyone even try to help him?"

The black feathered Rito let out a loud laugh at that, bringing a wing to his chest as if the very comment was hilarious. "Sure, we've offered him help. He refuses it all though, says he'll only get stronger by getting through it all himself. It's a far cry from how he used to be before his parents passed. You know, he was even convinced he'd be the Rito Champion, funniest thing I've heard all day."

"Is he not suitable to be a Champion then?" Zelda asked.

"Geez, you ask a lot of questions..." The man paused for a moment, as if contemplating his words. "Well no, he's arrogant, rude and steals my gear. Having someone like that represent the Rito Race would be an insult to our species." The man turned away from the Landing, taking a few steps back towards the village. "I'll pluck out his feathers when he gets back, I swear."

The blonde girl gave the Rito man a quizzical look as he took off back towards the village, clearly uninterested in talking any further. But Zelda had one more question to ask, "Where would Revali have gone to, if I can ask?"

"Check the Flight Range," The man replied without skipping a beat. He turned back to her, giving her a stern expression, as if he wasn't approving of her questions. "Don't get involved with that pompous bird, you don't need him in your life, trust me." With that, he was gone leaving Zelda alone on the landing.

Her thoughts were whirling, her mind reeling from this man's information. Revali was effectively the town outcast, however from the looks of things he seemed to be an archer in training. His arrogance was a little off-putting but she couldn't deny that the blue feathered Rito had held a presence. Almost like he thought he was a member of royalty.

"If I remember correctly, the Flight Range is close to the entrance of the village," She hummed quietly to herself, setting a new destination in mind. Leaving the village would be simple as long as her guards didn't notice her pass by. Perhaps she could go and meet this Revali and see him for herself.

* * *

The Flight Range was just a small ways into the Hebra mountains, a particularly cold region of Hyrule that was ruled by snowy peaks and icy glaciers. For Zelda, it was just another place in her land, somewhere she could explore and learn from as she walked through the crunchy snow of the mountainside. For despite her royal duties, Zelda has always enjoyed the peace of the land.

Watching as nature bloomed and the world changed with each passing day, it was something of a hobby for the young girl. She knew she wanted to pursue some sort of career working with the lands around her, however as the Princess she had a much more pressing duty, something that had been weighed upon her since her very birth.

She was the sole person who had the power to seal the Calamity Ganon away when it awoke. However there was one draw back to this destiny. She had still yet to unlock her powers. In the past, there were those who possessed the sealing power, some of whom had unlocked their powers at a very young age, while she had the misfortune of being past the prime age and at her wits end on why her powers would not awaken.

Her Father had ensured she focused on her task of revealing her true powers, but he was strict. She was unable to enjoy luxuries of any kind, nor was she able to pursue her hobbies that she truly wished to follow.

It was a tough, sheltered existence.

So being able to explore the snowy mountains of Hebra without a guard around her was liberating. It felt relaxing, being able to just walk through nature without fear of disturbing someone, offending someone or letting others down. She could focus on just herself and the world around her.

With a smile, she pushed on towards the Flight Range, noticing some slight drafts of wind bellowing from the direction of the place in question. She had heard it was windy and the updrafts were legendary for riding the winds. It was a marvel of a place that the Rito could practice their archery and their flight and as she finally made out the small canyon of the flight range, she noticed the wooden shack and a small fire set up next to it.

The fire was crackling in the distance and she could see a figure leaning over it, no more than a silhouette at first glance.

As she stepped closer, she heard a small shuffling sound as the figure turned towards her, calling out with a rather pompous, "You thought you could sneak up on the Great Revali?"

Well, that rather confident reply confirmed who it was by the fire. With a more determined expression, she strode towards the light of the crackling blaze, calling out, "I did not intend to sneak up on yo-"

"So you wish to approach me, is that it? My, my, you are truly remarkable, assuming you can just walk up to me as I train." Revali's interruption had somewhat flustered her, although she knew that with these types, revealing weakness wouldn't help.

That cocky arrogance was something she knew she'd have to put up with if she wanted to get a good conversation in, but even then she had her standards. Perhaps revealing her identity would help convince Revali to tone down his attitude.

"I am Princess Zelda of the Land of Hyrule, I merely wished to see a true Rito Warrior in the flesh," She explained, putting on her noble voice. She wondered if that inflated ego of his would grow any larger with a dose of flattery. "But those warriors at the village, they weren't satisfactory."

Revali snorted as she stepped towards the light of the fire, now able to catch the green of his eyes and the mirth in his gaze. "Well yes, I suppose that is true, isn't it. After all, none of those hatchlings can hold a candle to my skills."

"You're very sure of yourself," Zelda said, leaning down towards the fire to warm up her gloved hands. She gave him a small smile although his entire expression seemed to radiate confusion. His brow was raised, quivering at her calmness as she approached him. "Perhaps you could show me your skills?"

Revali seemed momentarily flustered at that, almost surprised that she was even offering before puffing out his feathered chest and going, "Why, of course! It is only natural for you Hylians to want to see a true Rito at work."

Zelda couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at this. He was all bluster for sure, but was he able to back up his words, she'd like to know.

Without a moment's hesitation, Revali pointed to the small wooden structure at the side of the Flight Range. "You can watch from there. Should you get too close, the gales from beneath the range could sweep you up and we wouldn't want the Princess of Hyrule being swept into Hebra, would we?"

"Oh please, just call me Zelda," She grumbled, moving away from the fire towards the wooden structure. "I may be a Princess, but right now I have come as but a curious traveler, interested in your skills." She brushed a strand of blonde hair from her eyes as the wind whipped her face, watching as the Rito approached the edge of the platform leading out on to the range.

"Now then, Zelda, watch and learn how a true Rito performs," Revali stated confidently, slipping backwards and outstretching his wings.

In an instant, Revali was picked up by the current and launched up into the air. The wind whipped beneath his wings, allowing him to raise higher and higher in the updraft until he felt he was at a high enough distance to begin his demonstration. Using the simple Rito bow he'd borrowed from the town armory, he allowed himself to drop downwards, pulling out an arrow from his quiver with intense speed.

Zelda instantly noticed the bright orange sizzling at the edge of the arrow's head. A fire arrow? No, it was too bulky for that. "Ah," She whispered, realizing what ammunition Revali had equipped himself with. This would be fun.

Revali aimed his bow at one of the lower targets on the cliffside, furthest away from him, releasing the string of the bow and letting the arrow fly forwards. It hit the target square in the center before a powerful explosion rocked the cliff side, a small side-effect of the bomb arrows that Revali had decided to use.

"Bravo, Revali, that was impressive," She called out, genuinely excited by his shot. She could feel the adrenaline running through her just watching his acrobatics as he ducked and dived on the winds like a seasoned pro. And yet he seemed so much younger than the other warriors the Rito had offered, so much potential within him. Perhaps his youth was to his advantage.

"Surely you jest, Zelda. That was only the warm-up," He called back loudly, a smile gracing his beak as he shot upwards on the Flight Range's gales once more.

Revali needed to concentrate. For months, he had been practicing a new aerial move at the Flight Range, hoping to master it specifically for the trial to become the Rito Champion. And while the Elder had forbidden his participation, he would not let his training go to waste. He had put in the time and effort just like the other Rito, he wasn't about to let someone show him up now.

He allowed himself to drop from the air, now high enough. Three targets, one to his left, middle and right. Flipping around, he allowed three bomb arrows to fall from his quiver onto his bow string. Zelda's eyes widened as she realized what he intended to do, body tense as she watched Revali descend.

This had to be timed perfectly or else it would fail. Three, two, one...

Revali released the bow string, three arrows flying in three different directions. The central arrow slammed dead center into the target, exploding on impact. The left-most arrow also landed in the center, Revali's chest swelling with pride. He darted to the third arrow, however he could only grimace as the arrow slammed the edge of the target, missing the center by a wide margin.

Zelda, however, was most impressed, clapping her hands together and calling out, "That was incredible! Three targets in one swoop!" Truly, she had not seen an archer in Hyrule that could match that feat, even her trusted Knight, who was currently on a mission in Central Hyrule, could not match those archery skills.

Revali landed back on the wooden construct, a scowl on his face as he looked out towards the final target. "Damn," He muttered, completely oblivious to Zelda's comments. He had failed his goal of hitting all three targets dead on, how was he supposed to feel now?

"Revali?" Zelda inquired, finally noticing the dark blue bird's sour mood.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Princess," He admitted, looking away angrily. Six months of training and he couldn't pull it off, perhaps everyone was right about him after all.

"What are you apologizing for, you crazy bird. You just hit three targets in one shot! No archer in Hyrule can match that feat, I can assure you of that," She explained, hands on hips as if trying to lecture him. "Honestly, I just don't understand why you weren't selected as a candidate for the Rito Champion."

Revali's face darkened at that, glancing in the direction of the village with a deep scowl. "Apparently I'm a disgrace to their name."

"I heard as much from the Rito you stole that bow from," She admitted, although her irritated expression didn't match the sympathy in her voice. "I understand that you've had a tough upbringing here in the village."

"You ask a lot of questions," Revali spat out. It was a clear warning to stop where she was. He didn't want to talk and she raised her hands, admitting defeat. Given he was the only person around for the next mile, it would be unwise to tick him off. "It's not my fault that I'm the only Rito who actually trains to get better."

At least he changed the subject, she thought to herself, replying quickly before he could clam up. If he was anything like her Knight, she needed to keep him talking or else she'll be chatting to a brick wall. "None of the other Rito warriors train?"

"No, they don't. I'm the only person here who tries to improve himself. The others are content with sitting back and letting the world pass before their eyes. They're all loud, lazy and arrogant."

"At least you're not lazy," She giggled, Revali giving her a rather pointed stare at his expense.

" _No_ , I'm not," He replied, grinding his beak together. "I have been working harder than anyone to have the honour of piloting Vah Medoh, but it seems the Elder has seen it fit for me not to have that chance."

Zelda could only look away at that. The Elder had been adamant that she would pick one of the Rito warriors from his group and she could tell he was a stubborn one. "May I ask why you wish to pilot Vah Medoh, Revali?"

Revali strode over to the small cooking pot in the wooden structure and proceeded to light a small fire under the pot. "I merely wish for the respect that I deserve," He stated, as if that was obvious. "By being the Rito Champion, my people would finally recognize my skills and stop treating me like some street urchin."

 _'Ah, so that's it. He's trying to change people's opinions of himself',_ Zelda thought to herself. "Have you ever considered that your conduct could be pushing you away from your people, Revali?"

The vitriol in his eyes was not lost on her as she suggested this, realizing she'd probably stepped over some sort of boundary with the bird. In hindsight, his conduct was probably a sore spot for him. Without his arrogance, she wouldn't have noticed him to begin with.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," She spluttered, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "I just... Have you allowed the other Rito to help you?"

Revali was silent at that, sitting by the fire with his eyes now shut. He moved a feathered wing to his head to wipe off some excess sweat from his training and took a deep breath. "They have offered me help."

"And you refused," Zelda said quietly, not a question but a statement.

Zelda took a deep breath herself before pushing herself up from her seat. She gave the bird a nod and looked out towards the direction of Rito village. Turning back to Revali, she gave him a small smile before stating, "I'll be heading back to the village, my guards will be wondering where I am before long." Revali merely raised a brow, but didn't interrupt this time. "You are a strong warrior, Revali. I know this is not my place to say, as I am unaware of your circumstances, but letting others help you is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of unity and strength. I would rather have a reliable Champion who could accept help than a strong Champion who goes off on their own."

With those words, she turned from the Flight Range and walked back through the Hebra mountains towards the Rito village, leaving the dark blue Rito to contemplate his thoughts as he wanted.

She liked Revali's style, that much was clear. And she had a good feeling about him. She only hoped that he would be able to see past some of his personal problems to connect with those trying to reach out to him.

* * *

That night, after returning to the Rito Village, she asked for a private discussion with the Elder Rito, without others present. Sitting in the Elder's tent, she began to tell her tale of the day's events, finally bringing up the possibility of Revali being the Champion of the Rito. She noted that the Elder seemed extremely conflicted as she discussed Revali's thoughts and motivations, before finishing her tale.

"I understand that he is not your ideal candidate, Elder, but I am confident that his skills make him the best fit for handling Vah Medoh." She was desperate in her explanation, knowing that no other Rito really held a candle to the arrogant bird, but it was whether the Elder was willing to relent.

"Revali is a problematic one." The Elder gave her a pointed look before continuing, clearly about to drop some sort of truth on the Princess. "You must know that before the deaths of his parents, he was an attentive and studious boy. But after their deaths, he became a recluse and lashed out at everyone who tried to comfort him. Eventually, we all stopped trying. He wasn't willing to let us in..." The Elder hummed quietly as he recounted the memories of Revali, before continuing. "Soon after, he started training at the Flight Range every day. From what you told me earlier, Revali felt he had something to prove to the village, and yet I recognize his skill as a soldier."

"Despite that, you still are not willing to make him your Champion?" The Princess asked, arching a brow.

The Elder nodded slowly. "As I have been made aware, the Champions are to work as a team, correct?" Zelda nodded at this, starting to see where this was going. "Revali is not ready to work with other people. He does not have the experience needed to function as part of a group."

"You won't know that for sure until you give him a chance though, Elder," Zelda explained, giving the Elder the same pointed stare that Revali had used on her earlier at the Flight Range. "The other Champions are all strong enough personalities in their own right that Revali wouldn't be able to get away with his attitude, even if he wanted to."

That much was true. Urbosa, a true friend of the family and the Gerudo Champion, would find endless ammunition to tease the Rito if he continued his pomp. Daruk would probably be oblivious and being rude to Mipha was an impossibility, as why would you want to be rude to Mipha? And then there was Link, her Royal Knight, who would probably watch from the sidelines and keep out of it. Especially since he'd started talking less and less...

"You're sure that there are no other candidates, Princess?" The Elder asked, a sense of finality in his voice. It seemed he was ready to give up this long-drawn out farce as well.

"I am," She replied curtly.

"Very well then, I shall inform the council. Though there may be fall out amongst the other elder Rito, I trust your judgement as you are the expert of these Divine Beasts." The Elder nodded to her and she bowed back before exiting the tent, letting a satisfied smile grace her face.

What she failed to notice was the darkened frown that appeared on the Elder's features, whatever happy facade he had been putting on, vanishing as he silently muttered, "Damn it."

* * *

Revali had a rather rude awakening the morning after his chat with Zelda on the Flight Range. After listening to her words, he had decided, rather stubbornly, to spend the night at the training grounds, relaxing in one of the make-shift hammocks that had been set up for training Rito in the past. He hadn't expected anybody to interrupt him or even journey to the Flight Range, so when he blinked his eyes open to see a pair of Rito and Hylian guards waiting outside the wooden hut, he couldn't help but raise a brow.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of both the Rito and Hylian guards, this fine morning?" He asked, strolling down the wooden steps onto the snowy field where his visitors waited.

One of the Rito stepped forwards, a brown-feathered male with white tipped wings. Revali recognized this Rito as one of the Elder's personal guards, an interesting choice to be sure.

"Revali, the Elder has requested your presence," He announced, staring into Revali's eyes with an emotionless gaze. "You are to be escorted back to the village at once."

Revali raised a yellow brow at that, a small chuckle threatening to break the severity of the situation. If the Hylian guards were here, as well as those of the Rito, then perhaps the Elder was reconsidering his offer to allow Revali to become the Rito Champion. Otherwise why would the Hylians be there as well?

At this, a small spark of hope fizzled into existence, something that Revali had admittedly all but crushed after his display to the Princess the day before. On the one hand, he was intrigued by the possibility that he could pilot Vah Medoh, but a small seed of doubt had been sown into his mind as he kept replying his failure to hit the third target in his training. Months of work and he'd let it all go to waste by botching it up at the worst possible moment.

"Revali," One of the Rito stated again, bringing him out of his stupor for the moment.

Revali brushed a wing away, muttering a quiet, "Fine fine, I'll fly over there right away," Before taking off from the Flight Range, grabbing his bow as he did so. The Rito that were sent to escort him both grimaced at each other, deciding instead to hang back with the Hylian guards, much to his pleasure. Revali couldn't take the constant frowns or judgement from the village guards and had taken to ignoring them at every opportunity.

He hurried back to the village, just slightly faster than usual before touching down on the wooden landing that overlooked the village entrance. The Elder's home was close by, so it only took him a few moments to reach the old Owl's home.

He wasn't surprised to see Princess Zelda kneeling on a cushion to the side of the Elder, a warm smile on her face.

Deciding to act civil for once, seeing as he was in the presence of the Princess and the Elder of his Tribe, Revali bowed down before asking, "You summoned me, Elder?"

"Indeed," The Elder replied civilly, yet the cold sting in his words betrayed the harsh truth to Revali. The Elder really didn't want to have this conversation. "I am sure you are aware of Princess Zelda's intentions to discover a Champion among the Rito."

"Of course I am," Revali replied, folding his wings. "It's not like I haven't been training every day for the last year or anything of the sort." The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he addressed the Elder, Zelda letting a small snicker out that both Rito noticed. Neither commented on it, although Revali felt a puff of pride surge through him at getting the Princess of Hyrule to laugh.

"I am aware of your dedication Revali. And it seems that the Princess here is also aware of your dedication." The Elder gestured to the smiling Zelda, who gave him a small wave. "After much deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that you are currently the prime candidate for piloting Vah Medoh."

Though Revali had been expecting as much, hearing that he was potentially up for becoming the Rito Champion had left him somewhat speechless. What power had Zelda taken against the Elder to actually have the Elder admit this to Revali? Everyone in the village hated him for a reason, but he was above it all. As an archer, and if things went his way, as a Champion as well.

"Of course, we cannot allow you to be the Champion of the Rito without testing for a bond between yourself and Medoh," Zelda interrupted, finally letting her voice by known. "That is actually why I called you here. I will be leaving at the end of the day and I wanted to test your compatibility with Vah Medoh before that time comes." She pointed down towards the hillside on the left-most edge of the continent, where Vah Medoh was resting, had been resting since it was first found.

Revali understood the situation, nodding to their words as the Princess explained what other important duties befell the Champions. They would have to swear allegiance to Hyrule, as well as attend an Inauguration Ceremony in a month's time. They would also be required as personal body guards for the Princess during specific journeys that she would be making to certain springs across the land. Overall, it just meant that he'd be leaving the village and travelling with a group of other Champions for some time.

He could live with that. Anything beat staying in the village where everybody hated him.

An hour later, they stood aboard the grounded Vah Medoh, Zelda having escorted the Rito, as well as the Elder and some of the other potential candidates to the site. Just in case, she wanted to have insurance if Revali was unable to interact with Medoh. And though the proud Rito would not admit it, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he didn't connect with the Divine Beast. He didn't have much to go back to in the village, no friends, his family long since gone.

"Alright, Revali, I'd like you to try and connect with Vah Medoh," Zelda explained, motioning to the rather large terminal in the center of the grassy courtyard atop the Beast. "This central terminal is the main source of power for Divine Beast Vah Medoh, and as such potential pilots must be able to connect through this terminal to the Divine Beast."

He already understood the proceedure, having seen a few other Rito Warriors attempt it a few minutes prior, but there was something within him that seemed to twist and constrict as he stepped up to the terminal. Though he would never voice or show it, there were many doubts whirling around inside of him, a brief whisper that he wasn't good enough or a shudder down his spine. He wasn't as perfect as he made himself out to be, but to show others that side of him would be a weakness.

He would never allow anyone to see him like that.

Revali pressed his wingtips to the terminal, resting them there on the stone sigil. And for a moment, nothing happened.

"Do you feel anything, Revali?" Zelda asked, the smallest hint of worry in her tone. "Anything at all?"

Revali was silent for a moment, realizing very quickly that he wasn't connecting with Vah Medoh. All that talk of him being the Rito Champion and yet he was unable to even connect to the Beast. Unable to even feel some sort of a spark, or a connection.

Turning his head, a frustrated frown forming on his face, he said in a rather snappy manner, "I'm afraid not, Princess."

At that, Zelda was silent, her eyes downcast. She had been pinning her hopes on Revali, and yet her intuition had failed her. Revali understood the feeling well, he'd pinned all of his hopes on the very same outcome. He couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle as he stared at the wingtip that was on the terminal.

"Princess Zelda, I do not know what to say," The Elder finally stated, voice solemn. "None of our warriors have triggered a connection with the Divine Beast. Perhaps it was simply not meant to be. We Rito have enjoyed a peace with Hyrule for a long time now, but perhaps this is a sign that our agreement should come to an end."

Zelda's eyes widened, snapping her head back to the Elder, who seemed as distant as his words were. "You cannot possibly mean to turn your backs on the rest of the continent!" For it was worth, Zelda was able to keep some level of calmness when replying, despite the Elder stating his intent to separate the Rito from the rest of Hyrule. "Elder of the Rito, if you do this, you will be condemning the entirety of Hyrule to death!"

"Calamity Ganon is a fairy tale, Princess. The Prophecy of Old revealed the Divine Beasts, yes, but that could simply be mere coincidence. For all we know, Calamity Ganon may not even rise within our life time."

Revali gritted his beak, sending a sharp glare at the man running the Rito, having heard enough of his foolishness. "You would pin the fate of our race on speculation, Elder?" He couldn't help the anger seething through his tone, but Revali tried to keep his voice in check. "You would pin the life of your son, Kaneli, on your own foolish whims?"

"You speak out of turn, Revali," The Elder stated dangerously.

"He's right though," Zelda snapped. "These are your people, and yet you are willing to sever all ties with the other races of Hyrule for the sake of wanting to run away?" The blonde took a dangerous step towards the elder, a fire in her eyes as she stated, "There is nowhere we can run. Isolate yourselves in this corner of the land and when the Calamity Ganon rises and seeks to destroy all, what then? Hiding will not stop you from falling to the apocalypse."

"I am doing what I can for my people. Princess Zelda, I suggest you return to Hyrule at once," The Elder stated ominously. "We Rito have tried and failed to find you a Champion. Now leave us be, you hold no rule over our people."

"You cannot just kick me out!" Zelda fumed, glancing to her Royal Guards who merely stood there unsure.

 _'Well isn't this just perfect,'_ Revali thought to himself as he pushed harder against Medoh's central terminal. He had to wonder how long the Elder had been sitting on that bomb shell. If there was one thing he knew about the man leading the Rito, it was that he thought through his options. They had known for weeks that they had nobody able to pilot the Divine Beast so he was clearly looking for some sort of out. But his idea was repulsive to the dark blue Rito.

Though they gave Revali no love in return, Revali did care about his species. He was proud to be a Rito, to soar through the skies and protect the land that he called home. Just like his father before him, who had fallen in service of his people and his mother, who held compassion for everyone, regardless of their species, and though he was certainly more cynical and definitely more isolated than his parents, Revali still wanted to make a difference and prove himself.

"Damn," He muttered to himself, subconsciously pushing harder against the terminal of Medoh.

And that's when it happened.

A faint blue light suddenly lit up on the Terminal, Revali's eyes widening in surprise. And moments later, that blue energy began to seep from the terminal, following the points across Medoh to illuminate the entire craft in a light sheen of colour.

"Revali, you-" The Elder began, flabbergasted at the sudden change on the craft.

"You activated Vah Medoh..." The Princess breathed out, the relief clear in her voice. She moved towards Revali, coming up to his side to look at the central terminal. "Yes, yes, this is all correct. Just like when Urbosa activated Naboris..." Zelda's excited eyes turned to the Rito of the hour, said Rito folding his arms and removing his wing from the terminal.

Revali said nothing, looking behind Zelda to the Elder, who seemed to be silently fuming where he stood.

"Well, well, well," He started, taking a few steps towards the Elder. "It looks like I am to be the Champion of the Rito after all. I activated the Divine Beast Vah Medoh and everyone here witnessed it. Of course, with my superior skill, I'm not surprised I pulled it off, but that puts you in a wonderful position, Elder. You now have someone to present to the King of Hyrule and thus have no reason to break our trade agreements with the rest of the continent." Revali wanted to laugh in the Elder's face, finding it rather fitting that he was the one obstacle that the Elder could not remove. Especially not now.

"So it seems," The Elder coldly stated, turning away from the group. "I shall return to the village and report the... good news."

With the Elder's true colours on full display, he launched into the air and flew back towards the village, the Rito Guards in tow. It was only when she was sure that none of the Rito remained that Zelda breathed a loud sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," She breathed out, nervously chuckling as she turned to the one who had just become her newest Champion. "Revali, I cannot begin to express my grat-"

"Save it, Zelda," Revali replied, dropping the formalities as he let a rather arrogant smirk cross his face. "All that matters now is that you have a Champion and I have a job to do, right? After all, I am the greatest archer among the Rito and the pilot of Vah Medoh." That was when he let his smile fade as he glanced back towards the village. "The Elder however, I feel this isn't the end of his tirade. I'm afraid I had no idea of his intentions, honestly."

Zelda solemnly stared back at the village, the brevity of the situation beginning to dawn on the pair. "I shall have to report to my Father about this. I'm just surprised that the Rito Elder, someone who was held in such high esteem as such a kind man, had such a malicious side to him."

"Everyone has such a side, you know," Revali said calmly. "Except me of course, I'm too perfect at what I do to fall victim to such harshness."

Zelda let out a smile. "Though you have an ego the size of Death Mountain, I can sense you are a nice person, deep down, Revali. I am grateful that you are the Champion of the Rito at least." It was all she could really say, for that summed up her feelings on the matter. "Now then, as the Pilot of Vah Medoh, I want you to work on your bond with the Divine Beast. I'll be returning to Rito Village in just a few weeks to collect you for the Inauguration Ceremony at Hyrule Castle. When I arrive back, I expect to see this Divine Beast in the air."

"In the air? As someone with no experience handling these delicate pieces of machinery, how am I supposed to get Medoh to fly?"

It was a good question. One that Zelda had no trouble answering. "Through thought. That terminal creates a telepathic link between yourself and the Divine Beast. Though it may take practice, simply will it to fly and it eventually shall." She gave Revali a knowing smile as she turned to her own escort. "I'll know if you've succeeded as I can see the skies above your village from the Castle."

She hopped off of the Divine Beast, glancing at her white horse before hopping on it's back. "I'll return in two weeks, as I've stated. Good luck Revali, Champion of the Rito."

 _'I could get used to that,'_ He thought as he watched the Princess and her royal escort ride off into the Tabantha region. "Two weeks huh? Give me two days."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kind words and great feedback on our first chapter last week! This week, Revali ends up making a deal that changes his perception about his people and our Hero of Hyrule arrives in the village! Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

"Two days huh, why did I say that?" Revali grumbled, preening his feathers in his private roost within the village.

The Champion of the Rito had learned that his declaration of two days to master Vah Medoh had definitely been all talk and no show. For it had been an entire week and still no movement from the Divine Beast aside from getting it to light up like some sort of glorified lantern. For whatever reason, his constant attempts to get the machine to move had been met with silence and, on his part, frustration.

Not that he would reveal to anyone else that he was struggling, though. Ever since the first time he activated Vah Medoh the week prior, the Elder of the village had seen it fit to pester him as much as possible since then.

Apparently being the thorn in the Elder's side was the role he was now fulfilling, although he was surprised to find that the general townspeople had actually begun to glance in his direction with less disdain in their eyes. Being the Champion of the Rito did earn him some perks, even if the villagers were just being nice out of obligation.

He didn't mind, really. At least, that's what he told himself over that first week.

As he settled into the back of his hammock, mulling over Vah Medoh and his new duties, he couldn't help but let his eyes wander to the other side of his roost. The other hammock nestled in the corner where his parents used to sleep when he was a child. "I wonder if either of you can see me now," He chuckled, splaying out his wings as he let the cool chill of the wind wash over him. "Champion of the Rito..."

He snorted.

"Champion of the Rito who can't pilot his Divine Beast, that's more like it," He mumbled quietly before letting himself drift off into a sleep.

When he woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of flapping outside his roost, he couldn't help but act irritable. He hadn't even had a chance to stretch as he walked over to the curtain that served as his roost's door, slipping it open to reveal a Rito Postman standing outside.

"For Master Revali," The Rito Postman, a dark grey feathered Rito stated. He handed out a small white letter which Revali graciously took, and by graciously he meant he yanked the letter out of the Postman's wings and gave him a rather exaggerated nod.

"Thanks," He muttered, turning back into the privacy of his roost.

He decided to quickly wash up and make himself presentable before reading whatever the letter was, although he had to admit he was surprised. He never received letters from anyone. So he was far more surprised when he turned to open the envelope only to see the symbol of Hyrule's Triforce Crest emblazoned on the back of the paper.

At this, he tensed up. He had an idea on what this letter was about. Slipping it open, he quickly began to read.

_'Dear Revali,_

_I am pleased to inform you that we shall be returning to Rito Village earlier than expected. I felt awful for leaving you with no guidance on how to work with your Divine Beast, so we shall be helping you out once we arrive. I have noticed that, as of sending this letter, Vah Medoh has not gone skyward yet.'_

Revali let out a frustrated sigh at that last sentence. He didn't want to be reminded by the Princess herself, and on top of that she was convinced he didn't have the skills needed to work Vah Medoh. He resolved to figure this whole flying business out before she arrived if it was the last thing he'd do.

_'Now, I am going to be travelling with another Champion, that of the Hylian Champion, Link. He is also my personal body guard and his safety is of the utmost concern. Please watch out for him when we arrive.'_

"The Hylian Champion?" He couldn't help stating that out loud. From what he knew, there were four Divine Beasts, that of the Rito, the Zora, the Gorons and the Gerudo. So why did they need a Hylian Champion, and why was his safety so important? Something definitely didn't sit right with the Rito as his feather bristled under the annoyance he felt.

_'As for the situation regarding the Rito Elder. I have been informed to pass on a letter from my Father upon our arrival and to say no more on the matter. On a personal note, I do hope that you are well. I've been talking about you to Link for days and he's looking forward to meeting you. I think you both might even get along rather well._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Zelda.'_

The first thing that ran through his mind was who Link was. Who was this Hylian Champion that had suddenly entered the picture all of a sudden? As far as he was aware, there were four Champions and the Princess. And Princess Zelda _assuming_ that he would get along with this Knight, he scoffed at the thought.

Placing the letter down on his desk and placing it inside of his drawer, he decided that enough was enough. Remembering Zelda's words and the disdain he had for wanting her help, Vah Medoh would be flying today!

* * *

When Revali landed on the village's main landing platform, exhausted and unsuccessful from yet another day's work at trying to move the Divine Beast, he was just about furious with himself. He had heard tales that Mipha of the Zora had tamed her Divine Beast in a matter of days. Urbosa of the Gerudo had taken mere hours to calm Naboris and yet he had spent over eight days attempting to quell Vah Medoh and he had nothing to show for his efforts.

"Master Revali?" A young voice called out as he trudged towards the ladder leading to his roost, wanting nothing more than to just sleep.

But whoever it was had called him Master Revali. And he was always a sucker for people who fed into his ego.

He folded his wings together and leaned against the wooden railings of the landing, looking over to whoever had called him out and was definitely surprised by who it was.

The Elder's Son, Kaneli stood before him, no more than twelve years old, holding a small wooden bow on his back. He seemed to be trembling as he looked up at Revali, the older Rito raising a brow at this Rito's weird antics. Kaneli was a standard brown feathered Rito with dark brown feathers adorning his body, while his wingtips and facial features were more of a lighter shade of brown and white. Staring up at Revali with his dark hazel eyes, Revali didn't really know what to make of it.

"So what can the Great Revali do for you?" He asked politely, flashing the boy a grin. Sure, he was the Elder's son, but he wasn't about to project his hatred for the older Rito onto his child. He wasn't that much of an asshole.

"Well, uh... You know how you used to train at the Flight Range?" Kaneli asked tentatively, looking down at the ground awkwardly as he said this.

"That is true yes. I harnessed some powerful techniques there in the past including an updraft of my own creation," He boasted, raising his wings before looking straight into Kaneli's eyes. "What of it?"

Kaneli looked away from the eye contact, stammering for a reply before finally managing to blurt out, "C-Could you take me there?"

Revali didn't know what to say to that. Really, he didn't. The Elder's Son was _asking_ for Revali to take him to the Flight Range? He'd never been asked to go anywhere before with anyone, let alone someone so young and impressionable.

"And why do you want to go to the Flight Range?" He asked, trying to prod a more interesting answer from the smaller Rito.

Kaneli looked down at his talons again before sighing. "I want to become stronger... The way you wield a bow, it's just so amazing!" For a moment, Kaneli's eyes lit up as he began talking about Revali's skills, said Rito trying not to let himself become too flustered from all the compliments. "You almost never miss a target, you're super cool and confident and you're the Rito Champion!" At that, Kaneli put a hand over his mouth, his face going red from embarrassment. "S-Sorry, you'll think I'm just some crazy fan now..."

"Actually Kaneli..." Revali said. "... I don't think I've ever had a real fan before. I didn't know you thought so highly of me." It was the honest truth, and though Revali usually wouldn't be this straightforward with people, this was the Elder's Son and he genuinely seemed to like Revali, a first for the Rito if he didn't include the Princess of Hyrule's first reaction.

"Well, I know a lot of people don't like you. My Dad really gets mad whenever I talk about you, but I think you're a good person, Master Revali. You talk a lot and you're always so dramatic, and you don't care what people think, and I just..." Kaneli continued to spout off random facts about Revali, the sheer enthusiasm in his voice causing Revali to have some rather conflicting thoughts.

On the one hand, having someone say nice things about him was a luxury that he had never had, not since his parents had been killed all those years ago. But on the other hand, Kaneli's statements were falsehoods. Revali cared very much about how he was perceived, even if he didn't show it to those around him. But Kaneli didn't need to know that.

_"I want to learn archery from you."_

Revali snapped out of his stupor when he heard that, blinking three times before looking at the determined Rito in front of him. Kaneli's wings were clenched into fists and for a moment, he could see that same fire in the young Rito's eyes that he himself had once had back at his age. It was like looking into a mirror, only Kaneli was widely more popular and liked among the Rito.

"Well, that's only natural," He replied casually, trying to play off his surprise. "Afterall - And let's get this right - I am the greatest archer of all the Rito."

"So can you teach me?" Kaneli asked once more, eyes pleading to the older Rito.

He wouldn't lie. He was tempted. Teaching someone else how to wield a bow meant passing on his tradition. Kaneli was willing to learn and he definitely had the eagerness to learn. But his father... The Elder would probably forbid Kaneli from learning archery from Revali, regardless of his status. "What about your father?" He finally asked.

Kaneli looked away once more, the sorrow in his eyes. "Father has no time for me any more. He doesn't care where I am and I can make my own decisions. I want you to train me Master Revali!" The confidence that came from Kaneli's voice in that moment, there was no way Revali could deny the young Rito a few lessons at least.

"Fine," He stated calmly, stepping back out towards the Landing's edge.

"Wait, really?" Kaneli's voice had gone up a few notches on the excitement meter, that was for sure.

"Of course. To pass on my skills to a new generation of Rito, that is the goal of a teacher, is it not? And as Champion of the Rito, and the Greatest Archer of the Rito, my secrets can't die with me," Revali proclaimed, dancing around the smaller Rito with a great deal of flourishing movements. At least if the whole Champion thing didn't work out, he'd be a great actor with how he handled his speeches. Or maybe a motivational speaker?

And then Revali turned to Kaneli, a serious glint in his emerald eyes. "However, we don't have long. I'll be leaving to do my duty as a Champion within a week. I can train you while I am in the village and when I come back, but you have to practice while I'm gone, alright?"

"R-Right!"

* * *

As it turned out, Kaneli was a natural with the bow. Revali had taken the young boy to the Flight Range for their first evening lesson where he'd asked the Rito to showcase what he could do. Kaneli was able to hit many of the targets that Revali had set up on ground level, which was a good start, but the majority of the evening was spent fixing his posture, getting him to hit bullseye shots on some of the easier targets and teaching him about the art of battle.

Revali also discovered that he felt quite comfortable slipping into the role of being a tutor. Kaneli was a good student, attentive and skilled, and as such Revali felt like he was actually making real progress, especially after their third lesson a few evenings later when Kaneli was able to hit his first target while flying in the air. Of course, it had been more of a fluke than actual skill, but Revali knew that with a few months of practice, Kaneli could be an amazing shot.

But with Zelda and her Knight arriving in less than a day, Revali needed to shift his focus back to Vah Medoh and, after clearing up another evening training session with Kaneli, he had decided to skip returning to his roost, instead deciding to sleep at Vah Medoh instead. He landed on the central platform of the Divine Beast, staring down at the terminal that he had ignored in favour of training his pupil for the past few days.

"Well Medoh, we've got less than a day. Tomorrow morning, you are moving," He announced loudly, giving the Divine Beast a tap with his wings before heading into one of the main rooms where he'd set up a hammock. For whatever reason, he had a good feeling about his chances with Medoh. Whether it was his cleared mind from training with Kaneli, or perhaps the adrenaline that came with the pressure of the impending Princess Zelda and the Hylian Champion, Link, but when Revali hopped into the hammock to rest for the morning's trials, he couldn't help but smile confidently.

The next morning, as the sunlight flitted through the small windows of Vah Medoh, Revali was up and ready quicker than usual. He had no idea of when Zelda and her Knight would be arriving, but he knew it would be that day. And he felt extremely confident as he strode up to the central terminal and began the usual mind-games with the Divine Beast.

 _'Alright Medoh, today is the day. You need to fly.'_ He thought these words clearly, sending them through the telepathic link he had with the Beast, but received no reply aside from the bright blue shimmer that he had grown used to over the past ten days. He hadn't expected to get it on his first try, admittedly, but he was still feeling confident.

Although ten attempts and three hours later and Revali's confidence was beginning to dwindle. And then to make matters worse, it seemed that the Elder had sent someone to bring him a message as he could hear wings flapping in the distance.

So he was surprised when he looked towards the village to see Kaneli flying down towards him, looking both nervous and excited all at the same time.

"Kaneli?" Revali asked as the brown Rito touched down on Vah Medoh with awe in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't in the village," Kaneli breathed out, clearly a little tired from the fast flight he had just taken. "I was told to come tell you that Princess Zelda is arriving in a few minutes."

"What?" Revali squawked out, eyes widening as he looked up at the sun, cursing himself for not realizing the time sooner. "You cannot be serious. I was supposed to get Medoh flying before they returned..."

Kaneli awkwardly looked away before stating quietly, "I think you can do it."

"Pardon?"

Kaneli looked up, adoration in his eyes for the Rito he looked up to. "I said, I think you can do it. I know it's been stressing you out, Master Revali, but I bet you just need to think about it more."

Revali crossed his wings in confusion at the smaller Rito's words. "I need to think about it more?"

"Well uh, you talk with Medoh with your mind, right? That's what Father said once. So maybe if you tell Medoh why you want it to fly?"

"I've tried that already," Revali admitted, Kaneli's eyes lowering. "I need Medoh to fly so I can show that I'm a capable Champion," He stated, gesturing to the Divine Beast around him.

That was when Kaneli said something curious. "Well, what if it already thinks you're a capable Champion?"

Revali blinked.

Kaneli looked down again at his talons, muttering, "You're a capable Champion, so Medoh probably wants more. It was built to protect everyone right?"

And that's when it clicked for Revali. He'd been thinking about it all wrong. He had assumed that Medoh would only move once it respected him as a capable Champion and he wanted to prove to Zelda that he was worthy of the title, but perhaps accepting the title and focusing on another goal might allow Medoh to move.

"Kaneli, I will only say this once, so listen closely," Revali stated, looking at his pupil with an excited glint in his emerald eyes. "Thank you, and hang on."

"Wha- You don't need to thank me," Kaneli spluttered, covering his face awkwardly.

"Focus on that second part," Revali barked quickly, Kaneli nodding in surprise before grabbing onto one of the pillars that surrounded the main console. "If this works, you may be in for a treat."

Revali pressed his wing to the console, accessing the bond between pilot and Divine Beast once more, this time stating,  _'We are going to fly Medoh. And this time, I get it. You already recognize my greatness and my skill, so instead we need to fly so that we can protect the Rito and Hyrule. That is why I need you to fly, so that we can save this land and not because I want to prove a point... Okay, maybe just a little bit of that second part, but mostly the selfless thing.'_

And then moments latter, a roar that sounded like the cry of a great bird, echoed across the Tabantha Frontier.

* * *

Meanwhile, just a few minutes prior, on the hill overlooking the pathway to Rito Village, two horses sat admiring the scenery, their two riders both looking around at the alpine ridges and sweeping green hills that surrounded the deep lake and the large rock that the Rito made their home.

"Well, we're here Link," The Princess announced, Zelda pushing away her blonde hair from her eyes as the breeze began to pick up from the mountains. "Rito Village is our first stop and we'll be staying a few days so I can help Revali pilot Vah Medoh." She frowned, turning to the man behind her. "Honestly though, I doubt he'll accept the help. He's stubborn from what I remember."

The other boy known as Link arched an eyebrow, folding his arms. He'd met his fair share of stubborn people, but if Zelda was the one who was making that claim, he had to see it to believe it. The blonde Hylian looked towards the Rito Village, an unreadable expression on his face, although he finally said in a surprisingly quiet tone, "Can't wait to meet him."

"You seem so enthusiastic, Link," Zelda stated, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Well, he's nice enough really. Although he has got a bit of an ego... And he's incredibly hostile to everyone in his home village..."

"This just keeps getting better and better," Link drawled, finally letting a smile grace his features. "If I could handle pulling the Master Sword from it's pedestal in the Korok Forest, I think I can handle a stubborn Rito."

Link failed to notice the dark frown that flashed across Zelda's face as he mentioned the Master Sword, nor did he notice her posture tense as he passed her on his horse.

Although it didn't matter, for moments later all they heard was a loud cry pierce the heavens and echo across the Tabantha Frontier. Link grabbed at the reigns of his horse in surprise, eyes widening as he looked back to Zelda, who was in a similar position. "What on earth-" Zelda's words were cut short though as her hand flew up, pointing towards the direction of the village. "He actually did it..."

Link turned to look at the village, eyes widening in surprise as he noticed just what had caused that loud noise.

For on the far western side of the village, near the continent's border, the mechanical marvel known as Divine Beast Vah Medoh was raising up into the air, lit in a bright blue light that washed over the surrounding areas. "Looks like he didn't need the help," Link stated after a few moments of silence, both watching the Divine Beast as it began it's ascent into the sky.

"Link, we have to get closer. This is my first time seeing Medoh in the air like that," Zelda squealed, spurring her horse into action as she galloped down the hill towards the Rito Village. Link, suddenly left behind, also spurred into action to follow the Princess. She was definitely eager and he knew that meant she'd begin acting careless if he wasn't careful.

When the pair arrived at the gates of the Rito Village ten minutes later, they were surprised to see that a Rito Guard was already waiting for them at the entrance.

"Princess Zelda, the Elder has invited you to speak with him privately. For your guest, we can accommodate him in the Inn where you will be staying," The Rito explained, gesturing to one of the roosts on the lower levels of the Village.

Link frowned at this. "Actually, I'm the royal escort and guard for the Princes-"

"Oh hush Link. Meeting with the Elder without my guard is a sign of trust. We need trust in these trying times," Zelda snapped, using her formal voice to show she meant business. And Link knew better than to get into an argument with her on these matters. "If it helps, perhaps you can stay close by. There's a landing that the Rito use nearby the Elder's house that you can lounge on while I talk with him."

With a begrudging nod, Link accepted the terms, although his eyes never left her until she had gone around the corner into the Elder's tent. With that, Link headed for this landing that he had been assured would be a good spot to wait for Zelda to finish. They weren't wrong either.

It was a great wooden landing that spanned the width of a traditional Rito home with some white symbols painted into the woodwork. There were a few Rito coming and going, so he committed himself to sitting on a side bench to wait for the Princess.

He didn't understand why he couldn't come with her just in case. It was his job to keep her safe from harm and they both knew that the Rito Elder wasn't the kindest of people given Zelda's last visit. He couldn't help but look up in concern, until he noticed the dark form of Vah Medoh high above. Before he could think further though, he noticed two figures diving down from the Divine Beast towards the landing.

And when they landed, it was definitely rough for the brown-feathered Rito who stumbled slightly when he landed, looking around dazed. But Link's eyes were on the second Rito that landed. Tall, dark blue and white feathers, sharp green eyes and bright yellow eyebrows. Yep, that matched the description that Zelda had been chucking around for the past few days.

"M-Master Revali, are you alright?" The smaller brown Rito asked concerned.

Said Rito that was known as Revali brushed his feathers off before turning to the smaller brown Rito. "I should be saying the same to you, Kaneli. But I am alright of course. I am a master of landing, as is to be expected from the Champion of the Rito."

And then was when the blue-feathered Rito's eyes connected with Link's. And everything changed.

* * *

"Master Revali!? You actually did it!?" Kaneli squawked from his pillar that he'd clung on to for dear life.

Revali, for what it was worth, was both ecstatic and felt like flying around and doing loops in the air, but had to keep his natural urge to celebrate in check due to his pupil being present. So instead he settled for a, "Well of course I did. It was only a matter of time, really."

Kaneli couldn't help but stare at the clouds in awe as Vah Medoh began circling the Rito Village of it's own accord. Revali had decided that the best course of action would be to keep Medoh moving in the air rather than landing it and starting it every time, so after getting it to fly, asking the Divine Beast to circle the village came naturally as a suggestion. 

"Well, it looks like I managed to get this thing in the air before Princess Zelda arrived after all," He boasted, turning to Kaneli with his trademark smirk on his features. But the look of horror on Kaneli's face was enough to snap him out of his celebrations. "Kaneli, is something wrong? Please don't tell me you're too high up and you're going to puke."

"N-No, but shouldn't we get back to the village? I came to find you Master Revali so you'd come back to the village to meet the Princess."

Revali's eyes widened at that. Of course he'd need to go down to the village, the Princess was probably waiting with this Knight of hers. And since Kaneli was with him, he'd probably be in trouble with the Elder for being late. "Right, we're going to soar down," He announced, gesturing to the wide-open skies.

"W-What?!" Kaneli squawked. Revali rolled his eyes at that. Even though Kaneli was young, surely he'd at least flown somewhat high before.

"You heard me, we're jumping," Revali stated, grabbing Kaneli's wing and forcing him to let go of his little safety pillar. "Come on, this is a vital lesson for aerial movement."

Kaneli's face blanched at the height they were at, looking down from the top of Vah Medoh to see the village far below the both of them. The Divine Beast was almost as high up as the tallest peak of the Hebra Mountains, which Revali admittedly thought was higher than he had first thought. But even so, he grabbed hold of Kaneli's wing tightly and leaped forwards, his momentum pulling Kaneli along.

"Down we go then," Revali shouted, all the while Kaneli was too shocked to function.

The rush of the wind beneath their feathers as they soared down towards the town sent adrenaline pumping through their Rito bodies, instinct taking over as they soared ever closer to the village and the landing pad below until...

**Thud.**

"M-Master Revali, are you alright?" Kaneli asked with a concerned voice, said Rito trembling in place as the pair shakily pulled themselves up from where they landed, their talons clacking on the wood beams of the landing platform.

"I should be saying the same to you, Kaneli." Revali replied, brushing his feathers off. "But I am alright of course. I am a master of landing, as is to be expected from the Champion of the Rito."

And as Revali looked away from the smaller Rito towards the main walkway of the village, he froze in place. For sitting on the bench, just a few paces away, sat a rather out of place Hylian. And when their eyes met, Revali felt something twist in the pit of his stomach. He knew who this was, there wasn't much to guess from given he wasn't Zelda and she was travelling with only her Knight to protect her.

"Oh, hello," Kaneli spluttered, looking at the Hylian Knight with wide eyes. "You must be Princess Zelda's escort, right? I-I'm Kaneli, the Elder's son."

The Hylian, for it's worth, took the time to nod politely to the smaller Rito, before locking eyes with Revali once more.

"So..." Revali stated coldly. "You are the Hylian Champion, Link, I assume?"

Another nod, followed by a slight scowl on Link's features. The feeling was most definitely mutual.

"And you are Revali, the Rito Champion." Link stated back, voice firm and composed. Revali was about to reply when Link interrupted him, "You said it just a few moments ago to your... friend?"

"Pupil, actually," Revali huffed. "I've been teaching the young boy archery."

"Master Revali's skill with a bow is amazing," Kaneli blurted out, wings to his mouth in embarrassment as the two Champions turned to him. "I mean... sorry..."

Link arched a brow, a small smile playing across his face as he looked at the smaller Rito. "If he's as good as you claim, you've got no reason to be embarrassed," Link chuckled, the mood lightening up considerably after those first few exchanges. "I've heard the stories from the Princess. She tells me you can shoot three arrows in one pass."

Revali folded his arms, a smirk gracing his beak. "Four, actually. I just chose to fire three arrows so I wouldn't overload the Princess with my talents."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Link snorted, glancing back towards the Elder's hut.

At that, Kaneli fluttered up into the air slightly in surprise, eyes widening as he quickly began to walk past Link towards the town. "I promised to tell Father when you had arrived, Master Revali," He squeaked out, rushing away towards the Elder's roost. "I'll go do that then."

There was a silence as Revali looked in the direction of his pupil, before turning to the Hylian Champion, arms folded. He had a lot of questions, but there was only one of importance that he needed to know.

"So, Link," He stated, the blonde boy turning back to him with a surprisingly vacant stare. "Correct me if I'm wrong - and of course I am only going off what I've been told - but why is there a Hylian Champion to begin with?"

Link looked puzzled for a moment before replying unsurely. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Well, as far as I'm aware, there are four Champions representing the four races. The Rito, Gorons, Gerudo and Zoras. So may I ask what your role is as this mystery fifth Champion?" Revali had moved inches away from the Hylian's seat, clearly trying to intimidate Link.

However Link was having none of it.

The blonde pushed himself up from the bench he was seated on, matching Revali's height and, satisfied that he had gotten Revali to take a step back, said in a stoic voice, "I'm the Knight who has to fight the Calamity Ganon head on."

Revali blinked. He'd been doing that a lot apparently. "Come again?"

"My job is to fight the Calamity Ganon after the Divine Beasts have weakened it," Link explained once more, gesturing to the sword hilt on his back, which Revali recognized instantly, eyes widening like saucepans.

"You are telling me that we Champions are to merely play as support to you and that darkness-sealing sword on your back?" The vitriol in his voice was definitely noticeable now. He noticed the Hylian tense up, glad to have at least elicited a response of some kind with his words.

Link looked rather unimpressed at his words, but Revali was already too annoyed to give a damn. To find out that all of his work for the last six months would effectively be for naught as he wouldn't even get the chance to face the Calamity Ganon head on and, better yet, this Hylian who seemed at least a year younger than himself, who probably couldn't even wield a bow, was walking around with a darkness sealing sword on his back. As if he were some special chosen snowflake.

"Ah, Revali, I just got word of your arrival," A familiar voice called out behind him, the Rito turning with a flourish to the Princess, who was standing near the steps leading to the Elder's roost. She seemed to be happy from her face, but as she looked between Link and himself, her smile turned to a frown. "You're not getting along, are you?"

"You forgot to tell him about my role, Princess," Link stated quietly from his standing spot by the bench.

Zelda shrugged. "Does it matter? You would have discovered Link's role sooner or later, Revali," She explained, pointing to her Knight. "That sword on his back came from the Korok Forest. He was chosen to wield the blade as the blood of an ancient Hero runs through his veins."

"He's a boy," Revali stated bluntly, turning to Link before stating, "No offense." He meant full offense.

"He's the only chance we have of Hyrule surviving. We are all to play as his support and ensure he is able to defeat the Calamity Ganon when the time comes. I'm sorry if that was not made clear upon our first meeting," Zelda explained, only the barest hint of sympathy in her voice.

Revali turned away, moving towards the edge of the landing. The last thing he needed to do was listen to this drivel any more. Was he just another soldier to the Princess then? Did being a Champion truly mean anything if he was unable to show his skills against the Calamity Ganon. "The Goddess could have chosen a more suitable warrior, such as myself," He spat before leaping from the Landing.

As he began to soar away towards the direction of the Flight Range, Zelda breathed out a loud exasperated sigh before turning her sights on Link. "Did you cause him any offense before I arrived?"

Link shook his head glumly. For all it was worth, Zelda's ramblings of the Rito Champion had Link somewhat intrigued from what she had told him. Someone close to his age with the skill to wield a bow and a personality to match his boasting. Perhaps had the circumstances been different they would have gotten off on better terms.

"He's an asshole," Link grumbled.

"True. But he's also a skilled archer," Zelda replied thoughtfully. "Though I do want to survey Medoh from the air, perhaps it would be best if we work on that tomorrow." Zelda moved to the railing of the wooden town, pointing out in the direction Revali had flown in. "The Rito have a Flight Range out there. It would be the perfect place to practice with your paraglider that was gifted to you, what with the updrafts that form there."

Link shrugged. Training was training and he'd endured more than a lifetime's worth of work and skills to get to where he was. He had to be a master of all trades if he wanted to defeat the Calamity Ganon, as everyone had told him throughout his lifetime, and his skills with the glider were certainly rusty...

"Princess, are you sur-"

"Enough of all that pomp," She sighed, waving away his next reply with a quick, "Call me by my name, I am Zelda first, a Princess second."

Though Link was hesitant at first, he finally stated, "Zelda... My job is to protect you at all costs."

"And you really think someone will try to take my life in the Rito Village? Though the Elder is clearly at odds with us, I highly doubt he would be willing to risk a war between his people and the rest of Hyrule." Zelda slammed her hands to her hips and gave Link a firm stare before pointing very dramatically to the direction of the Flight Range. "I order you to go train at the Flight Range and not to come back until the evening, understand?"

Though Link wanted to protest, it was a direct order from the Princess, so with a shallow nod, he walked past her to head back to their lodgings to grab his paraglider.

It was only when Link was gone that Zelda let out a strangled noise of frustration, gripping the wooden handrails of the landing with all her might. "Those two are going to take a lot of work," She muttered to herself, wondering just how her band of Champions would work given Revali's insistence on shutting out everyone who approached him.

* * *

When Revali wanted to let out some steam, his go to place was the Flight Range. None of the other Rito were willing to train in it's conditions for long, so even if there were guards who used the updrafts to practice their archery, they never stayed for long. It was his own private space away from the rest of his species where he could fire his arrows in peace and quiet.

Lowering his wings to the ground, a simple swallow bow in hand, he allowed himself to feel the wind around him, waiting for that perfect moment to boost into the air on his own updraft. This skill that he'd yet to place a name to was a feat that he had spent time mastering in secret, unwilling to show it off without having mastered it first. To propel himself into the air without the use of a pre-determined updraft took concentration beyond measure, but today as he let the pressure of the air beneath him loose, he soared up into the air with staggering grace, focus purely on the training ahead of him.

Blocking out distractions was par for the course given his isolated nature, so despite the dark recesses of his mind dwelling on that Hylian and the Master Sword on his back, his rational mind was dictating his training and ensuring he didn't accidentally kill himself.

But damn if it wasn't difficult to get the blonde out of his head as he fired arrow after arrow, picturing each target as the head of the Hylian that had the biggest role to play in their fight against the Calamity Ganon.

As he reached for his quiver to notice he had no arrows left, he glanced around the training field to see that all of the targets had been pierced, this time his accuracy completely perfect. And that was when he heard a sound he had not expected to hear from the wooden station set up near the side of the range.

Clapping.

Sharply turning in the air towards the source of the noise, a vile sensation boiled in the pit of his stomach as he saw none other than said Hylian that had been causing his disdain, Link, standing on the platform, observing his training. Revali must have been heavily distracted by his training to have not noticed this boy sneak up on the Flight Range, soaring down and landing on the wooden platform with a small thud.

"What are you doing here?" Revali asked bitterly, glaring at Link with a pursed beak. "Surely they told you that the Flight Range is a training ground for those who can soar through the air? While you may have a sword that seals the darkness, you most certainly don't have wings."

The boy's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden outburst, clearly having wanted to say something else, before frowing. "Has anybody told you how much of an ass you are?" Link stated coldly.

There was a moment of silence as Revali processed what had just been said.

And after that moment ended, he gave a rather haughty squawk. "How dare you!?" Revali's wings began to flap in exaggerated motions, his feathers bristling from the sheer anger he felt from that comment. "I'll have you know that I am considered quite highly among my peopl-"

"Zelda already told me you were practically the village outcast when she was last here," Link interrupted with a rather exaggerated eye roll. "Yes, you're skilled. Watching your archery was astounding and I doubt anyone in Hyrule could nail all those shots like you can, but your attitude has been foul both times we've had the  _pleasure_ of chatting today." Link folded his arms, squaring up to the Rito in front of him.

Revali was fuming at this. How dare this Knight come in here, insult him and then proceed to blame him for their current icy mood. It was absolutely asinine, that's what it was. Although there was a compliment laced underneath all that aggression. He had admitted to Revali that his archery was perfect.

"That does not give you the right to judge my character," Revali coldly stated, gesturing his left wing towards the door. "You should leave."

Link shrugged, ignoring the gesture and taking a seat on a chair near the back of the wooden structure. "The Princess ordered me to train here until the evening. I've got no choice but to stick around..."

The strangled cry of annoyance that erupted from Revali's throat was enough of a hint for Link to keep to himself. Without waiting for another moment, Revali grabbed a quiver full of arrows and took to the skies once more to fire at some more targets. Only this time his shots were less precise, some missing their targets by inches and while to an outsider that didn't seem like much, to Revali it was infuriating. He was stuck dealing with this Hylian Knight who had forcefully invaded his personal space on the Flight Range and he wasn't happy in the slightest.

It was only when he landed once more, he noticed that Link had pulled out some sort of wooden construct from the pack on his bag.

"What are you doing?" He asked irritatingly.

"Training," Link replied, gesturing to the wooden construct that seemed to have a piece of cloth tied on to it. "You said only people who can fly are able to train here, right?"

Revali gritted his beak, giving a nod.

"Good," He responded, looking out towards the flight range. "This paraglider helps me to fly on wind currents," The Hylian explained, stepping past the Rito, picking up a small wooden bow and a quiver that happened to be leaned up against the side of the wooden station.

Revali narrowed his eyes, glancing at the paraglider with skepticism in his eyes. "I don't see how a piece of cloth and some wood can allow you to soar like a Rito, but if you want to waste your time and plummet to your death, you'll hear no objections from me." Turning away with a huff, Revali refused to meet the eyes of the Hylian, missing a slight sad look that appeared briefly on Link's face.

Wasting no time, Link launched himself into the air, paraglider in hand. Though Revali refused to admit it, he was curious about the paraglider's capabilities, so while Link was carried upwards on the updrafts of the Flight Range, the Rito wasted no time in eavesdropping on the boy's training.

As it turned out, Link hadn't been lying about the paraglider either. It did allow him to soar on the updrafts of the Flight Range, albeit with some difficulty as the Hylian had to rely solely on the updrafts to keep himself afloat. And even more interesting was how the blonde was trying to fire his bow during his descent with varying states of success.

Aerial combat was an art that the Rito had mastered due to their superior flight capabilities and watching Link attempt to fire at targets while simultaneously gliding through the air was rather painful to watch. Revali thought Kaneli had been pretty bad at their first lesson riding the air waves, but this Hylian was incapable of hitting more than three targets in a whole minute, something that most Rito could do easily.

"How is this boy the one who has the biggest role to play when he cannot even shoot a bow while riding an updraft?" Revali asked himself incredulously as Link missed yet another shot.

Surely there were better candidates who could fit the role of the pivotal Knight of Hyrule better? Why couldn't they have gotten someone more agile in the air, someone like himself who had worked hard ever since he was a young boy to be the perfect fighter? He couldn't help the blossoming feeling of jealousy that was rooted in his impressions of the Hylian.

When Link was finished with his training with the paraglider, Revali once again refused to meet his gaze, although perhaps it was due to his training sessions with Kaneli, but he couldn't help the words that tumbled out of his mouth as Link moved to put the glider away. "Your aim is sloppy and you're focusing too long on lining up your shots in the air."

Link looked at him, confusion followed by a bemused expression appearing on his face. "Thanks?" He finally said unsurely.

Revali looked at him unimpressed. "I was only stating the truth." And then he added, "That was not me trying to help you, I wouldn't lower myself that far. But if Hyrule's great hero ends up being killed because of his lack of aerial prowess, I am not being held responsible through inaction."

He wasn't expecting a small smile to grace Link's face, nor was he expecting the, "Thank you," that sounded far more confident than his previous response.

The blue Rito simply turned, ignoring the goodwill. He had no interest with even attempting to be friendly towards the Hylian, but civility and friendship were too different things. He could always give advice so that the Hylian didn't end up getting himself killed on the battlefield. Perhaps that would be enough to satisfy the Princess and her clear attempt to try and establish a friendship between himself and Link.

"Hmph, good luck sealing the darkness with those skills of yours," Revali stated grimly. "If you can't even ride the air effectively with your glider, or make it to Vah Medoh without the help of a Rito, how do you expect to surmount the Calamity Ganon?" Was it a challenge? Yes, he enjoyed the fact that this boy was unable to reach Medoh. Was it petty? oh yes it was.

Turning away from the boy, he leaped from the Flight Range to head back to the Rito village, once again failing to notice the melancholic look cross the Hylian's face, nor the rather frustrated cry that Link echoed as the bird left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 of "What Lies Ahead" is finished! Yes!
> 
> The character of Kaneli was my idea of expanding upon the Rito Elder from the game with a different dynamic. Of all the Rito, Kaneli seemed the most fond of Revali in-game and I just thought, wouldn't he be a fun character to write? Of course, being the son of the rather bitter Rito Elder who happens to hate Revali, you can imagine the problems that could ensue.
> 
> In the next chapter - Link makes it his goal to climb on to Vah Medoh, the Princess offers some sage advice and Revali does just a little bit of stalking.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"That bird is so infuriating!" Link growled to the skies above, Zelda rolling her eyes at his stressed out antics.

Link had returned that evening from the Flight Range as the skies began to darken to find that Princess Zelda had been perfectly fine and capable on her own. She had apparently been seen browsing the wares of the Rito Clothing stalls and had taken it upon herself to purchase two sets of Snowquill Armour that she was assured would keep the pair warm while working in the Tabantha Frontier, as well as on Vah Medoh now that it had taken to the skies.

Zelda was quite pleased with her tunic, noting that the pink feathers that had been used suited her very well indeed and she had taken the opportunity to present Link his own armour set when he arrived back. The only problem was the colour of the feathers on Link's gear.

Apparently, the shop keeper had decided that Revali-blue feathers were in style that season as a celebration of Revali's achievement on becoming the Rito Champion, and now Link was forced to don the same style of feathers as the arrogant bird in question.

"Oh hush, you," Zelda groaned, looking at him lazily from her bed within the Inn. "You've been complaining about Revali ever since you got back."

"For good reason, Princess."

"Zelda."

"For good reason, Zelda," Link reiterated, giving Zelda an eye roll back for her troubles. "Both times I tried to speak to him today, he antagonized me and has made it very clear that he does not wish to work alongside me in the slightest."

A stray breeze brushed through the Inn, Zelda pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes as Link flopped back onto his own bed with a huff.

"Did you at least get some training with the paraglider done while you were out there, today?" She asked, hoping that there was one piece of good news.

Link gave a nod, "I practiced my aerial archery and I've gotten better at keeping a hold of the paraglider, but according to  _someone_ who shall not be named, I focused too much on lining up my shots to actually hit the targets. And then he had the nerve to tell me that if I couldn't get on to Vah Medoh through my own power, I shouldn't even be a Champion. Like, where's the logic in that?"

Zelda gave a frustrated groan at that, wondering whether she'd actually be able to get some peace and quiet from this newly developed rivalry between the Rito Champion and her Knight. She had heard of people disliking each other before, but the vehement and blunt remarks from Revali towards Link were a new territory for her, and she'd been to many political meetings with her Father where the tension had been unbearable.

It was nothing compared to those two.

"Can you at least try to get to know him? Perhaps if you both find some form of common ground?" She suggested desperately, wanting nothing more than to just go to sleep and focus on her testing of Vah Medoh the next morning.

"And what do we have that's common ground, Zelda?" Link asked angrily, head resting in his hands. "He won't even speak to me long enough to actually have a proper conversation."

"How about, and this is just a suggestion Link so do not bite my head off, you figure it out yourself?!" With that, Zelda turned away, pulled up her bed covers and settled underneath the feathered blankets, wanting nothing more than to ignore the Knight who was left in stunned silence.

The next morning, Link had awakened to find Zelda already having vacated the Inn, much to his chagrin. No doubt she'd left with some of the Rito to survey Vah Medoh from the air. And with no way to get up to the Divine Beast himself, he found himself forced to mill around the village market in a daze.

Although he ultimately found himself lounging around on the town's landing, gazing out into the Hebra Mountain range, watching Vah Medoh soar through the clouds around the region.

And naturally looking at Vah Medoh brought his mind back to the current problem that was Revali. The stuck up Rito that had made his stance on Link very clear from their first conversation. He didn't like Link, he didn't want to fight with Link and he certainly didn't want to befriend Link.

The blonde was so lost in his irritation for the Rito Champion that he hadn't noticed the small feathery tapping on his shoulder until he finally jumped in surprise and turned around.

He was surprised to see a familiar brown-feathered Rito, the Elder's Son, standing behind him with a sheepish grin on his face. "Uh, hi Master Link," Kaneli said quietly, giving the Hylian a welcoming smile. At least one of the Rito had manners.

"Kaneli, right?" He responded, giving the Rito a warm smile of his own, said Rito looking away awkwardly at the gesture. He seemed a little too shy for his own good.

"Yes, I'm Master Revali's pupil," The brown Rito explained, leaning against the wooden railing to look up at Vah Medoh. "I was just wondering why you weren't up there with Master Revali and the Princess."

Link snorted. "Revali hates me. I doubt he'd let me on the Divine Beast even if I was ordered to go up there," He explained, resting his face in his hands as he looked into the sky.

"He doesn't hate you really," Kaneli muttered quietly, getting Link's attention quickly as the Hylian gave him a sideways look that seemed to suggest,  _'Are you mad?'_ The younger Rito let out a small laugh at that. "Master Revali's had a rough time here in the Rito Village. My father doesn't like him and until he became the Champion, everyone in town really hated him..." Kaneli looked downwards at his talons as he said that.

A small silence fell on the two after that, both listening to the chilled breeze and the rustling of the trees around the village. In that moment, Link felt rather at peace after all of the trials he'd faced prior to becoming a Champion. Training to wield the Master Sword, listening over and over again to the stories of Calamity Ganon and hearing about how he was the chosen one sent to save Hyrule... Being able to forget about his destiny was certainly a good feeling.

It was his destiny to save Hyrule, but that didn't mean he wanted to focus on it all the time. And it occurred to him that this destiny of his was what made Revali so hostile towards him. He wasn't sure why, but the fact that he was the wielder of the Master Sword had robbed any chance of him being able to befriend the haughty Rito.

But Kaneli had somehow befriended the Rito when apparently no other had made the attempt.

"Why do you like Revali?" Link asked out of the blue, now curious. What had this boy done to get into Revali's good graces?

Kaneli seemed surprised by the question, bringing a wingtip to his chin in thought. "Uh... Well, he's just misunderstood. That's what I think, anyway."

"Misunderstood?"

Kaneli nodded. "Master Revali's been a very lonely Rito. When I was just a hatchling, Master Revali's parents were killed." Kaneli looked up at Vah Medoh, sympathy in his eyes as he thought about the Rito Champion. "Nobody should have to lose their parents..."

Link knew the feeling only too well. He'd lost his mother as a young boy and it had devastated his family. His father put all of his focus into the trade negotiations with the Zora and had neglected him for a good portion of his young life. Only recently had they both really started to move past his mother's death. But ever since he was charged with saving Hyrule... He missed his father's praise and his mother's kindness.

But moving on was the only option. The world waited for nobody and time would not still for Link.

"Master Revali never had friends. He isolated himself from everyone and focused on his archery and his skills. I really admired that aspect of him, how he was able to forget everything and just focus on training." Kaneli gave a somber smile. "He even came up with a whole new move that most Rito could only dream of."

"A new move?" This had his curiosity.

"Yeah, he can create updrafts out of nothing to soar in the sky. He hasn't named it yet, but I had an idea I wanted to pitch to him. Revali's Gale, sounds cool right!" Kaneli's smile now seemed to lift out of the somber and into genuine excitement as he motioned with his wings about how Revali would use his power.

"That sounds like a great skill to have," Link admitted, wistfully looking at the smaller Rito. "Perhaps that dedication is why he became a Champion then."

"Master Revali just doesn't have any people skills," Kaneli admitted. "He's never had a friend before so he keeps everyone at wing's length. But he's a good person, otherwise Medoh wouldn't have chosen him."

Link couldn't help but grin at the Rito's optimism towards the Champion. Sure, Kaneli seemed just a little bit starstruck, but Revali's past certainly hadn't been peachy before he became a Champion and Kaneli's words had certainly revealed a side to the Rito that Link hadn't yet seen.

He couldn't help but find it ironic that the Champion with the most to prove was supporting the boy who's destiny got thrust on him from a young age.

"Have you got any advice on how I can approach him, Kaneli?" Link finally asked. If anybody had any ideas, it'd be the one Rito who had succeeded in befriending Revali.

"I dunno really. I just sort of complimented his archery and asked to learn from him." Kaneli leaned in, quietly whispering as if Revali could hear himself. "Between you and me, Master Revali's got a really big ego."

Link couldn't help but letting out a whoop of laughter at that. He imagined Revali's reaction to that comment, how he'd probably splutter and deny it or fly off in a huff. Link didn't even realize the smile hadn't left his face long after he'd stopped laughing. "Now that we can agree on," He chuckled.

"I bet if you make it on to Medoh without his help, he's appreciate you more," Kaneli offered after their laughter had subsided.

Getting on to Medoh without Revali's help. He had to admit, that was a challenge that he could probably see impressing the Rito. Zelda had made it perfectly clear that he had to figure out this whole situation with the Champion on his own and Revali had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't willing to respect Link if he couldn't master the art of the air.

Revali had made one fatal mistake the day prior. He'd issued a challenge. His words echoed in his mind,  _'If you can't even ride the air effectively with your glider, or make it to Vah Medoh without the help of a Rito, how do you expect to surmount the Calamity Ganon?'_ If he could make it to Vah Medoh, perhaps he'd be able to impress the Champion just a little bit.

* * *

Zelda pulled her Snowquill tunic closer to her chest as she peered over the edge of Vah Medoh, the stiff winds of the raised altitude threatening to send her careening off the Divine Beast lest she be careful. Luckily, her armour protected her from the biting chill of the air, which made her job just a little bit easier.

She had spent the morning and afternoon carefully observing the pattern at which Medoh had been flying over the village. Through her patience and determination, she was able to map down the full route of Medoh's pattern, showing it to Revali for a reference, to which he merely nodded along with her words before exclaiming that he was going to work on his bond with the Beast.

"This truly is a mechanical marvel," She whispered to herself as she headed inside of Medoh to the main room. A glass floor in the bottom room allowed her to view the landscape below and she had definitely taken a few minutes to just watch the land around her shift with the Divine Beast's movements, wondering just how the ancient Shiekah had been able to create such technology.

Watching the ancient fans lift up the wings of the craft with air propulsion and hearing Medoh's cry every few hours or so was a joy to behold and she couldn't help but think that this Divine Beast was easily the most peaceful of the four that were scattered about Hyrule.

That being said, while Medoh was a peaceful creature, she couldn't say the same for it's pilot. Revali was temperamental, broody and often blunt to the point of rudeness. She imagined he was aware of his actions as well, as any attempt to converse with the pilot aside from the required tutorial on Medoh's inner workings led to her being shut out faster than she could blink.

She had better luck the first time she'd met Revali, before he'd realized he was the Rito Champion and she could just watch him practicing his archery on the Flight Range without any other problems. But now that she was the Princess and he was her Champion of the Wind, she couldn't help but think he'd closed himself off even more to those who wanted to learn more about him.

Especially towards Link.

From what Link had told her, as well as her few interactions she'd witnessed between the pair, Revali was jealous of Link's position and under the impression that Link had not worked to achieve his position. Destiny had chosen both Link and Zelda, yet Revali seemed more angry at Link as his role was to defeat the Calamity Ganon and that was the role that Revali had wanted for himself.

And this was extremely annoying for her because she had been hoping that their fiery personalities and skills on the battlefield would help them to actually become friends. It was a childish thought, but she knew Revali was rather lonely since her first visit and Link barely had anyone who he could talk to through his training. But it seemed like those two becoming even simple allies was a thought that was leagues away from their current spot.

"I cannot wait until we reach Gerudo Town," She muttered to herself, reveling in the knowledge that when they resumed their journey in three days, she'd be able to see Urbosa again. And perhaps then she get Revali to open up with the help of the other Champions.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she continued with her calculations, ensuring that even if Revali still had a ways to go, his Divine Beast would be ready for the Calamity Ganon ahead of them.

When Zelda returned to the Inn that night, tired and weary from her day up on Vah Medoh, the last thing she expected was to be accosted by her Knight the moment she was preparing for sleep.

"Zelda, I need to borrow some of you-"

She promptly slapped him in the face, Link stumbling back in shock and surprise as the rather moody Princess continued to change for bed that night. "You deserved that one."

Rubbing the rather sore red mark that was now on his cheek, he turned to the Princess who was still in the process of changing, before asking once again, "I need to borrow some of your research notes on Vah Medoh."

"What for?" She asked, not missing a beat.

"To befriend Revali," He stated, still rubbing his cheek, although as Zelda finished changing out of her Snowquill Tunic, she couldn't help but arch a brow at his words.

"How on earth would my notes on Medoh help you to befriend Revali?" She asked, eyes lit up with curiosity. "Because if it gets him to open up and stop being so stuck up, I will gladly assist you."

Link couldn't help but snicker at that. "Was he that bad today?"

"Wouldn't talk to me once," She huffed, sitting down on her bed. "What is it exactly that you need regarding Medoh's information?" She had pulled out her binder of information, of which Link was sure what he needed was inside.

"Mainly Medoh's patrol route," He explained.

Zelda quickly flitted through the papers in her notebook before pulling out a small map of the Tabantha and Hebra region, sliding it across the floor to Link. He picked it up, noticing a large red line that seemed to go around in a circular pattern around the regions. "And this is definitely the route Medoh goes in?"

"Are you doubting my research notes, Link?" Zelda replied, a question for a question. He didn't dare answer back.

Link took a few moments to research the map, before the perfect spot presented itself. Near one of the Hebra mountains, it seemed that Medoh lowered in elevation to conserve energy and refuel it's natural power from the Hebra Mountain's atmosphere. And at one point, the Divine Beast became level with the peak of one of the mountains that Link had access to. "That's my only shot..." He muttered to himself, looking at the spot with trepidation. He'd need practice and he'd need to observe Medoh from that peak at least a day in advance. "How many days are we here for again, Zelda?"

"Three. Well, two starting tomorrow," She corrected herself, the curiosity still glimmering in her eyes. "So what is your big plan?"

"Jump on to Medoh," He replied casually.

To Zelda's credit, it took her a full five seconds before she reacted with a confused, "What!?"

"I'm going to jump on to Medoh from this mountain without the help of a Rito," He explained in more detail, hoping she'd understand.

"You cannot be serious? Is this because of what he told you last night?"

"Possibly," He admitted.

"Link!?"

"Do you have a better idea, Zelda. He won't come off that Divine Beast so if he won't go down, I have to go up," Link stressed, gesturing up to the ceiling with intense finger pointing.

"And what happens if you miss Vah Medoh, or you jump wrong, or you let go of the paraglider early? You'll be seriously injured, possibly even killed, Link!" The Princess's voice was shrill, concern clear in her tone.

Link shrugged. "Given we're fighting the Calamity Ganon, I'm already risking my life, Zelda. And it's not like I'm going to go up there tomorrow and jump. I'll practice my gliding at the Flight Range, I'll survey from the spot I've picked out, I'll make sure that when I jump there will be no room for error."

Zelda continued to glare at Link, the worry evident from the frown on her face, until finally she gave a long, drawn out sigh before shaking her head silently.

"When you put your mind to something, I can't convince you otherwise," She admitted, flopping back on to her bed.

"I wonder where I get that from?" Link responded with a grin.

"Sarcasm duly noted," Zelda replied, settling under the covers for the night. "Link. Please try not to become a splat on the Hebra mountainside."

"No promises."

* * *

When morning rose on their next day in the Rito Village, Link had taken it upon himself to ask for leave to go practice as the Flight Range with his paraglider. Zelda had every right to stop him if she really wanted as his job was to act as her royal Knight and bodyguard, but she knew that his mind was set on this foolish plan to board Vah Medoh and as such, she gave him the go-ahead to get to work.

Link was rather lucky in that he went to the Flight Range early enough that there was nobody around. No Rito who wanted to train their skills, no Kaneli as the Elder had drafted the poor child into village chores, but most surprising of all was the lack of Revali at the Flight Range. Link had gotten the impression that the Rito Champion had used this training ground as a place to escape from the rest of the village.

Perhaps it was because Link had arrived first, or maybe Revali was having an off-day, but the Rito never showed up during the morning, leaving Link to train with his paraglider alone in the chilly Hebra air.

He decided to kill two birds with one stone, grabbing a bow and arrows to practice his aerial archery while he was there. Paragliding was his primary focus, but if he could improve his shots, he would.

Allowing himself to float on the updraft, Link allowed himself to reach the height of the winds and then drop towards a set of targets that he felt he could reach. Using a similar style to his first attempt two days prior, he achieved similar results, emptying the quiver with less than satisfying results.

He huffed in silence, sitting at the cooking pot to warm himself up before going out again, when somewhere in the back of his mind, he began to remember something about his prior visit to the Flight Range.

And then out of the recesses of his mind, he heard a voice. _"Your aim is sloppy and you're focusing too long on lining up your shots in the air."_

Link can't help but snicker at those words. Though the Rito Champion was irritating, he was easily the most skilled archer that Link had met. Just that small display from the other night had been enough to tell Link that Revali could back up his words when it came to a bow. And he seemed sincere when he gave that advice to Link, so maybe...

With renewed energy and a different mindset, Link hopped back onto his paraglider and sailed the updrafts, a fresh quiver of arrows waiting to be fired. Little did he know, he wasn't alone on the Flight Range as he continued to practice, his accuracy increasing as he adapted to the advice of the Rito Champion.

For just a little ways away, sitting on one of the smaller peaks of Hebra, Revali himself had taken to watching the Knight as he worked on the Flight Range.

Now, Revali still hated Link's guts. The jealousy he felt and the irritation that had flowed through him when they first met was very much still present, but he had to admit that between the last visit to the Flight Range and this one, the Hylian had improved with his skill with the bow.

And he knew very well that his own advice had been taken into consideration as he watched the Hylian notch and release arrows much sooner than he had previously. It was an improvement, for sure.

"He's still just a hatchling compared to me though," Revali noted with a sigh.

Honestly, the Rito Champion didn't know why he was watching Link practice. Morbid curiosity perhaps? Given he'd be travelling with them across the continent, it made sense to at least evaluate his skills to see what he was working with. From what he could gather, Link was far stronger on the ground. He did wield a sword as his main weapon, and it was the Master Sword, which meant the Hylian was at least capable with one-handed weapons.

He was becoming more skilled with that paraglider, although nothing could beat the wings of a Rito Champion.

Just as Revali was starting to become invested in the training session though, even noticing little flaws and improvements Link could make with his form, it ended quite abruptly. There was still quite a lot of time in the day to kill and from what he'd gathered, this Knight wasn't one to take breaks. So what could he be up to?

There was something to be said about the Rito Champion stalking the Hylian Champion through the snowy mountains of the Hebra region, but he couldn't help the small feeling of curiosity welling up inside of him, like this was something he needed to see.

Revali ultimately ended up watching as Link ascended one of the mountains of Hebra, unsure as to what his goal was. But as Link reached the peak, he wasn't expecting the Knight to just sit down, pull out some wood and start cooking some apples on the fire.

"What on earth is his game?" Revali whispered to himself, now very confused.

It was only half an hour later, as the waiting began to get unbearable and he was preparing to just off and leave that something happened. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his Divine Beast nearing the mountains as it did when it needed to refuel itself. And right as Medoh had dipped downwards, he noticed Link stand up, eyes directly on the Divine Beast.

And that's when it hit him.

"He's planning to land on Medoh," Revali uttered, genuinely surprised by this turn of events.

Yes, he'd basically challenged the boy to get to Medoh without the use of a Rito as a taunt, but never did he think that Link would actually attempt the boarding. He couldn't help but watch with bated breath to see if Link would make the leap, however as it turned out it was not meant to be.

Link instead hopped up, grabbed his paraglider and soared down the mountain back towards the village, a smile plastered on his face. And for a single moment, Link's eyes happened to flicker straight in the direction that Revali was hiding, the Rito freezing still in place as he hoped he hadn't been seen.

It seemed he was lucky as Link continued to smile, turning back to the village where he would be landing soon.

And something about that smile twisted something inside of Revali's stomach. He couldn't place the feeling, but as he flew back to the village himself for a good night's rest in his roost, he had a feeling that he'd need to be alert the next day.

* * *

"I had a stalker today," Link said as he entered the Rito Inn with a grin.

Zelda looked up at him from a rather old historical tome that she had been pouring over, before giving in to his words and asking a quaint, "You were followed?"

"Mhm, by Revali actually," The blonde male chuckled, sitting down by his bed, eyes glazed over as if he were thinking about something. "I didn't notice him until I'd reached the peak, but I noticed him as I was making a baked apple."

"And he was following you?" Zelda asked playfully. "My, my, there may be hope for your friendship yet if he's stalking you."

"Doubtful. If I assume he's been stalking my all day, he probably just wanted to watch me practice my archery," Link admitted with a shrug. The blonde laid back on his bed, still smiling from his pillow. "I think I can make that jump tomorrow."

The Princess stared at him from behind her book, her expression unreadable before she stated, "Well tomorrow is your last opportunity. We leave the morning after," She explained, closing her book. "Try not to injure yourself. Mipha is on the other side of the continent and she will kill me if you stroll up in bandages, or worse."

Link couldn't help but laugh at that mental image. Mipha, a close common friend of theirs from the Zora. She was actually their Princess, but she'd been one of Link's playmates when they were kids as his father had the wonderful job of being the Zora - Hylian relations officer. She was a brilliant healer, gifted beyond her years, but she always seemed to be saddened when they left the Domain. He wondered why but he could never figure out what could make Mipha happy...

"I promise I'll stay out of trouble," He muttered, glancing up at the Princess he was told to protect. "You're like an older sister with your nagging."

"And you are like a younger brother, always getting in to trouble," She replied curtly, closing her book with a small snap. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

Link was starting to get used to the feeling of the warm bed of the Rito Inn as he settled down for the night as well, resolving to quietly look at the ceiling while thoughts continued to whirl around in his head. Thoughts like, what if I miss the jump tomorrow? What if Revali doesn't ever respect that he made it to Vah Medoh in the first place? Why was he bending over backwards to appease the Rito Champion so much when there was clearly no care for him in return? But his mind continued to mull over Revali's advice on his archery from two nights prior. If he really didn't care, he would have kept his mouth shut.

Link was definitely sure of that.

As he began to drift off into the land of dreams, his mind flashed back to the moment he'd spotted Revali on the mountainside that day. The Rito had been almost unnoticeable, completely hidden within the tundra of the Hebra Mountains. Why was he even watching Link if he cared so little about him? That was the question that fueled Link's desire to reach Vah Medoh, for Revali's whole countenance seemed to be giving more questions than answers...

* * *

Today was the day. Paraglider in hand, he strolled out of the Inn after reassuring Zelda that he would be okay and that everything would go well. This was the day that he would impress Revali and attempt to gain some form of respect from the Rito Champion. Strolling through the market, a smile on his face and the mountain peak that he'd climbed the day before in his mind, he reached the landing of the town at a rapid pace. Only this time, he was greeted by the small brown Rito, Kaneli, who was looking standing by the egde of the landing, looking distraught.

"Hey, is everything alright, Kaneli?" He asked as he reached the landing, the brown Rito turning to him with a squeak.

"R-Right, sorry, yeah. Everything's fine. I just..." Kaneli was stammering over his words, looking extremely worried. "I had to cancel my training today, with Master Revali," He finally admitted, looking down at his talons with a frown.

Link raised a brow. He seemed a little nervous, or was it sadness? Either way, he felt there was more to Kaneli's words than was being told. "Kaneli, are you sure everything is alright?"

Kaneli hurriedly nodded before pushing past Link, much to the Knight's surprise, to walk away quietly. It was only then that Link noticed, just a little ways up some wooden stairs near the village, the form of the Elder Rito had been observing the landing.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together at that point. The Elder had probably discovered Kaneli's training sessions with Revali and ordered them to stop. That would explain why he was so sad... He admittedly had become fond of the smaller brown Rito through his brief conversations with him and his devotion to Revali was admirable. So he quickly made a note to at least try and bring Kaneli up to Revali once he made it on to Medoh.

The journey from the Rito Village to the peak of the mountain that he'd be leaping from was at least an hour's journey while climbing. And unlike the day before, it seemed that the icy cliffs has become a lot more treacherous, what with handholds being more slippery than the day prior. If he wasn't careful, he'd end up falling before he even made it to the peak of the mountain and that wouldn't do him or Hyrule any good.

Gritting his teeth, Link bit back any nerves he had and scaled the mountainside, having a few close calls with some loose rocks before eventually making it to the peak that he had scaled the previous afternoon. He could still see the remains of the small fire he'd lit the first time up there, but he'd figured out via watching Medoh that the bird dropped once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the night time, which meant he had at least three chances. Although as he glanced into the air, seeing that Vah Medoh was still roughly ten minutes away from the spot he needed the Divine Beast to be in, he couldn't help but notice that the breeze was beginning to pick up and that the cliff he'd used to climb up had become very unstable.

This would probably be his only chance. He had to make it count.

Ten minutes later and he was ready, paraglider in hand, a simple jump away from proving to Revali that he was capable of entering Medoh without the use of a Rito.

And while he definitely felt the nerves in the pit of his stomach, there was a feeling in his chest that kept him going. Something that he was told once was the courage of a hero, a feeling that would keep him moving through even the toughest of times. His father had once told him that no matter what could happen in Link's life, he would find a way to live, he would find a way to continue, be it his fears, or in this case being jumping off a mountain.

So with no regrets and a bundle of determination, Link leaped into the air, paraglider held high.

Vah Medoh was just ahead of him, the large stone construct just slightly below his altitude. And for the first time, he could clearly see the top of Vah Medoh for what it was. A bright green grassy courtyard with a large terminal in the center that reminded him of a closed flower. The actual Divine Beast was lit up in various states of light blue, signifying that the pilot's bond with the beast was strong and active.

Feeling a gust of wind suddenly slam into him, the sudden turbulence caused a momentary shot of panic to enter Link's system, the Hylian glancing around in surprise as he clutched onto the paraglider, trying to keep his height.

And then he suddenly felt cold hard ground beneath him and a moment later, he let go of the paraglider, letting it fall to the side of him. For he had landed on his destination. He had managed to reach Vah Medoh through his own intellect and planning.

"I actually did it," He stated to himself as he simply stared in awe at the Divine Beast around him. "That went easier than expe-"

The sudden shake of a burst of turbulence was all the warning Link had as everything shook and he suddenly felt himself tipping backwards. In utter horror, he realized that the paraglider that could break his fall had been dropped to his side, so with nothing to break his fall he felt his body tip backwards off the side of the grassy top of Vah Medoh.

The air rushed through his hair, eyes widening in pure shock at the stupidity of his mistake. And from this height, the fall would most certainly be fatal. He reached forwards, desperately trying to grab out to something, but all that he felt was cold air.

And the a moment later something soft, yet firm, gripped at his outstretched hand, pulling him back towards the Divine Beast, Link's eyes widening again as his momentum began to shift in the completely opposite direction. Where once he was falling off the Divine Beast, he now felt himself falling forward until he slammed into something rough, crying out in pain as whatever had grabbed him pulled him extremely close. He heard something hiss and then a familiar voice filled the air.

"Just what on earth were you thinking, letting go of the one thing keeping you afloat like that?"

Link blinked, eyes glancing down to see that he was still almost dangling over the edge of the Divine Beast, shifting his gaze upwards to see the familiar face of a certain Rito Champion, who looked extremely panicked. "R-Revali?" Link finally choked out, suddenly aware that what was currently holding him close was the Rito Champion, who was clearly trying to keep Link from slipping off the edge of Medoh.

"You did not answer my question, Link," The Rito hissed, pulling them both back away from the edge of the Divine Beast. Although Link didn't let go of the Rito's feathers until he was safely near the very middle of the courtyard.

"L-Lapse of judgement," He admitted as he fell to the floor, legs feeling surprisingly shaky after that close call. "Revali, thank you."

He meant it. Without the Rito Champion there, he would have died.

"Are all Hylians this idiotic, or is it just you?" Revali squawked, placing a wing to his forehead before letting out a rather dramatic sigh. "Did you not think about yourself while pulling that stunt? Had you died, had I not been here to catch you, Hyrule would have lost it's chosen Hero, correct? And then where would we be in the fight against Ganon?"

Link couldn't help but look surprised at the concern that had etched itself into Revali's features, although the Rito was definitely trying to hide it. "Are you... Trying to imply that you care about my well being, Revali?"

The Rito looked positively offended by that remark, although there was definitely some merit to it as rather than bite Link's head off with a snappy comeback, Revali instead turned away. The movement said what words couldn't. And Link couldn't help but let out a smile.

"Take from my gesture what you will," He finally said, his cold demeanor returning in full force. "But that doesn't change your idiocy, nor my opinion of you."

"But I made it on to Vah Medoh without any help. You challenged me to do that, didn't you?" Link countered, brushing some blonde hair from his face as a gust of wind began to mess up his hair.

"Your point?" Revali replied, folding his wings.

Even after getting to Vah Medoh, the bird was still acting like nothing had happened. Like they were still enemies. And now, Link just wanted this petty rivalry to stop. Realizing that he was actually rather tired of the stress, he stated, "Revali, I don't know why you hate me, but it's tiring, isn't it?" Revali didn't reply, but the slight perking of his feathers gave away that he was, in fact, listening. "Hating someone so much... We got off on the wrong foot but I'd rather just start again. We're both comrades in arms at least, so why not at least act like the last few days never happened and start fresh?"

"So you can go around with your sword and overrule my authority," Revali spat out.

"I don't want to overrule anything though, Revali," Link replied, voice sounding just as worn as his feelings. "Do you think I want to be the chosen Hero of Hyrule, because honestly if I had the choice I would give it up and let someone else take the role over in a heart beat. But..."

"But what?" The bird wanted him to continue.

"...But I was chosen. And that means nobody else can take my place. I already have enough pressure to live up to the legend of this Knight of Hyrule, Revali. You hating me for something that I had no choice in is just unfair."

"Life is unfair," Revali stated, brushing off some of his dark blue feathers.

"Revali please..." Link was practically begging at this point. He just wanted the antagonism to stop. "You don't have to like me or my role. I'm not asking that of you. I just... Can't you at least tolerate me and at least try to understand me before making a judgement?"

All that could be heard was the whirring of the engines on Medoh's wings and the cries of birds that flew past the Divine Beast as it rose back into the sky. Revali stood, staring at Link for what felt like an eternity, Link staring straight back from his spot on the ground, looking up at the Rito with a pleading look.

Until finally...

"Fine," Revali stated, reaching a wing out towards the Knight. "Now get up, a Champion should never be caught begging."

"You mean that?" Link asked unsure, grasping the wing that was offered and letting Revali pull him up to standing height.

"You have my word as the Champion of the Rito - And that is a high honour indeed - That I will try to at least... tolerate you and not judge you based on pre-conceived notions." Revali gave the Knight an arrogant smile that seemed just a little bit more genuine than before. "Happy?"

"Yes," Link nodded, letting out a shaky smile. "I'm grateful."

The two males stood there for a moment, the silence actually seeming less awkward than before until Link began to think back to the Rito Village below, suddenly remembering that he'd made a note to ask Revali, "Did Kaneli speak with you this morning?"

At this, a glimmer of interest sparked in the Rito's emerald eyes as Revali nodded once. "How did you know about that?"

"I just remembered, I saw him this morning and he looked extremely down. He said he'd cancelled his training with you." Link's explanation seemed satisfactory at least as Revali nodded, confirming that Kaneli's actions were truthful. "I think his father is aware of his training," Link explained with a frown, glancing down in the direction of the Rito Village. "He seems like a rather strict parent if you ask me."

"The Elder of the Rito is a bother. But his son is one of the brightest fledglings in the village. It is a shame that in his old age, he's letting his hatred of my existence ruin his son's chances at learning a vital set of skills..." Revali walked back over to the side of Medoh, glancing down through the clouds with a worried look. His beak clicked in irritation and his feathers began to rustle at the mere thought of the Elder Rito.

"I know it's not my place to say this, but Kaneli deserves to learn from the best. And you are the best in his eyes." Revali arched a brow at Link's words, what seemed like a smile forming on the Rito's beak.

"Flattery won't get you very far with me Link, but seeing as you're merely stating the facts, I think I can accept those words," Revali announced, throwing his wings into the air with wild abandon. "Even if they are coming from you."

 _'Still an ass then,'_ Link thought to himself. Baby steps. At least Revali wasn't outright denying his compliments.

"I'll take it," The Knight replied wistfully, glancing off into the distance.

From his perch atop Vah Medoh, Link only just realized that he could see almost the entirety of Hyrule stretching out before him in to the distance. Death Mountain was to his left, far away and covered by a smoggy dark smoke. Straight ahead, the Gerudo Highlands and the rest of the Tabantha region stretched out in the distance, snow covered peaks hiding the vast expanse of desert that Link knew they would be travelling to not a day from then.

His eyes drifted westward once more, this time focused on the distant Hyrule Castle Town. A sprawling maze of stone buildings, farms and ranches. The Hylians had tamed the fields of Central Hyrule and it showed. Further past the distant castle lay the Dueling Peaks and the marshlands that led to Zora's Domain, the place where he had spent the majority of his childhood while with his father.

It was amazing to see just how clear Hyrule looked from the sky, despite all of danger that had surrounded the land since the Divine Beasts had been discovered. When he watched it from the sky, everything seemed so peaceful, so calm... This was a world worth fighting for.

"I know that look," Revali stated, walking up beside him, wings now behind his back. "This is your first time seeing the world from such a height, correct?"

"Yeah," Link muttered, saying nothing else. No words needed to be said, for none could describe the feeling of being at the top of the world.

And yet, as Link glanced to the east, he noticed that across the great chasm that separated Hyrule from the wilderness beyond, the cliffs rose even higher, sprawling up into the clouds like they were caging the continent in. Revali noticed Link's staring, also drawing his gaze to the great cliffs of the west, although as Revali gazed at them, he felt a deep pang in his chest. Like it hurt to stare too long.

But why, he had no idea.

"Well then, this certainly has been an experience," Revali announced, stepping away from the edge. "But I can only tolerate you for so long, so I think it is time you vacate the premises." The Rito was gesturing to Link's paraglider, which Link picked up from the ground tentatively. And this time he made sure he was gripping it. He didn't want a repeat of his previous fall.

"I'm guessing if I don't jump, you'll push me?" Link went to ask, the Rito giving a sharp nod in return.

Revali once again raised a wing, gesturing towards the edge of Vah Medoh's eastern side, noting that they were hovering directly above the Rito Village. Although he had to admit the altitude was daunting.

"Try not to splat," Revali remarked as the Rito leaped off the side of the Divine Beast, Link watching as the Rito eased himself into a dive before beginning to soar back up into the air. "We wouldn't want the Princess to be down a Champion, would we?"

Link rolled his eyes, saying nothing as he took a deep breath and leaped from the Divine Beast, letting himself fall slightly before raising the paraglider to catch himself on the winds.

This time though, as he made his way through the skies to the Rito Village, he was very much aware of Revali's presence as the Rito managed to keep pace with him as he dropped. Though there was no incident, Link had to wonder if Revali would catch him if he had fallen from the paraglider.

And when they both landed on the wooden landing of the village, they were both greeted by a rather relieved Princess Zelda who promptly began to shout at Link for his stupid plan while simultaneously informing Revali of their departure time in the morning and that he should be ready before hand.

So as Zelda decided to drag Link back to the Inn for an afternoon of helping the Princess study the Divine Beast research, Revali found himself with a few hours of free time. And it occurred to him that he had nothing to do. His training session with Kaneli was cancelled and he didn't have time to visit the Flight Range anyway, while his duties to Vah Medoh had been fulfilled for the moment.

Revali decided instead to head back to his personal roost, moving through the town to the house that he called his own. It was a small wooden roost near the bottom of the village, down by the lake. They had made an extension down there after a slight over-population issue forced them to improvise with their roosts, and so his parents, when they had been alive, were one of the families who got new roosts near the lakeside.

Pushing aside the curtain of his roost, he entered the small room he called home and instantly found himself comforted by the familiar scent of the cotton hammock and the flowers that grew on the lake outside of his window. A small fire was burning in the center of the room where he'd set up a cooking pot and as he allowed himself to relax for the first time in a long while, he found himself giving a relieved sigh.

While the day had certainly gone in a slightly different direction than he had planned, Revali couldn't help but think it had been somewhat successful. Link had somehow managed to make it on to Vah Medoh like Revali had guessed and though he didn't like the Hylian, even he couldn't deny the Knight when he'd been on his knees pleading for a fresh start between the duo.

It had actually made him quite uncomfortable. Begging was something that nobody should be forced to do, regardless of species, and even he had the self-awareness to realize that enough was enough when Link had dropped to the floor. But that didn't mean he had to like Link, only tolerate him and, as he promised, judge him based on his actions and not his role.

Admittedly, the seething bitterness and jealousy that he felt towards the Hylian hadn't changed, but with some added perspective, as well as the nagging of Princess Zelda, he'd begun to realize that his personal feelings were beginning to affect his professional position as a Champion. He was actually glad to have been called out early, rather than have it become a serious problem down the line.

So with his promise to at least tolerate Link, his thoughts then drifted to Kaneli. What was he going to do about the situation with the Elder's son.

According to Link's testimony on Medoh, Kaneli had probably been forbidden from training with Revali any more. And that was a low blow in the eyes of the Rito Champion.

It was no secret that both Kaneli and Revali both enjoyed their training sessions. Seeing the younger Rito improve as an archer was something to behold and actually being able to pass on the lessons that he wish he'd had when he was Kaneli's age...

Revali let out a frustrated sigh, brushing his wingtips across his forehead, as if nursing a headache.

"What am I going to do about you, Kaneli?" He muttered to himself.

He was leaving the very next day and Kaneli would be alone in the village for a while. Sure, he'd be back at some point but he had no idea when or the frequency of his visits, so there had to be some sort of plan in place for his leave...

And that's when it hit him. Revali shot up from his hammock, reaching over towards his desk to grab a small piece of parchment and a writing tool. Quickly, he began to scribble down a message, his beak curved upwards into a smile as he continued to write down a letter for his pupil.

He'd train Kaneli, even if he wasn't around, and the Elder couldn't stop him.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The sky was still dark and some stars could still be seen glimmering above them as Zelda and Link both emerged from the Rito Inn, bags packed and ready to leave the village. In order to make good on their journey to the Gerudo Desert, they had made the decision to leave the town in the early hours of the morning, before the Rito were awake and busy with their days.

Zelda had expressed interest in leaving as soon as they were able, eyes twinkling with excitement at the thought of finally heading back on to the road and Link couldn't help but smile at her positive attitude. It was rare to see the Princess in such a good mood, although he figured she was just excited about being able to meet with Urbosa again as the Gerudo Champion had a pre-established friendship with the Princess, being a close family friend.

Link was glad that Urbosa would be joining them on their journey, as he knew he wasn't as capable as she was at keeping Zelda's spirits high. Not to mention, he was secretly hoping that Urbosa would take a certain Rito Champion down a peg with her famous brand of sass.

Although as Zelda and Link quietly made their way across the wooden bridges that led away from the Rito Village, he couldn't help but like back fondly at the small town. They had only stayed there for a few days, but something about the crisp mountain air and the peaceful nature of the Rito had sat well with him. He definitely wanted to return in the future if he got the chance. He only hoped that the Rito would be as hospitable the next time he came to the village, given the nature of the Elder's political stance.

He imagined that Zelda was glad to be out of the village, if only because she had claimed that the Elder had been keeping an eye on her movements and while there seemed to be no danger imposed by the Rito and his guards, she had found the whole farce rather irritating and it was only as they arrived at the Rito Stable just outside the village that he noticed her whisper, "Glad to be on the move again."

The stable manager quickly brought about their horses, Link grabbing an apple from his backpack to feed to his chestnut brown horse, Epona. He rubbed at her mane, giving her some attention after their days apart, while Zelda and her snow white horse, Storm, were having a similar experience a few paces away.

"So when's Revali meeting us?" Link asked finally as they began to saddle up their belongings to their horses.

"Soon, I suppose," Zelda replied unsurely. "He told me he had some business to take care of, but he would meet us within the hour."

Link shrugged, climbing on to Epona and gripping the reigns carefully. Zelda had done the same, both Hylians now ready to ride out into the Tabantha Frontier. It would take roughly two days to make it down to the Gerudo Canyon Stable, passing by the Great Plateau along the way. They were planning to meet with Urbosa at the old Kara Kara Bazaar near to the Gerudo capital, since there were no males allowed in Gerudo Town.

So with their destination in mind, the pair spurred their horses into action, before riding off down the dirt road of the Tabantha region.

* * *

Revali, envelope in hand, walked through the quiet marketplace of the Rito Village, grateful for the silence of the early morning. Goodness knows, had he walked through a crowded village with people praising him left and right, he might not have the willingness to actually leave his hometown. For in the back of his mind, that was what was eating away at his current thoughts.

The Champion of the Rito, Revali, was feeling nervous about leaving his home for the first time in his life.

But he was not going to let anybody else know about it, that was for sure. Especially not the Princess or Link, whom he knew would be asking all sorts of questions when he met up with them about himself or his life. At least, that's what he assumed would happen as far as small talk went.

He was getting distracted though. He still had something he needed to do, climbing the wooden stairs towards the top-most roosts in the village, stopping outside the Elder's hut. The Elder and Kaneli were probably both still asleep, so he needed to do this extremely carefully.

Taking a step onto the wooden railing of the village walkway, he allowed himself to hover in place in the air, just above the Elder's roost. He was lucky that the Elder had left the windows open, so he was able to glimpse inside to figure out just where Kaneli was sleeping.

He spotted the peaceful looking brown Rito asleep on a small hammock closest to the window he was at. That was perfect for Revali as he lowered down to the window, glanced inside and quietly dropped the envelope onto Kaneli's hammock.

As long as the Elder didn't see that letter, he was sure that Kaneli would continue his training regardless of Revali being there or not, and he hoped that when he returned, his Pupil will have become even more skilled with the bow.

With his work done, Revali pushed back from the Elder's Hut and allowed himself the opportunity to soar around the village one last time, glimpsing the place that he had called home for his entire life, closing his eyes and letting the wind wash over him.

Though he hated the Elder and his time in the village had not always been pleasant, his memories of sitting with his mother and father by the lakeside as a hatchling and his first time wielding a bow made his heart swell, his mind reminiscing about the past before snapping back to the present.

He had a Princess and a Knight to catch up to, so with his final lap of the village spent, he soared down towards the Rito Stable, sparing a glance back at the towering Rito Village and the green hills surrounding it. With one more glance upwards to Vah Medoh, the beast giving out a cry to it's pilot, he turned and flew over one of the ridges, blocking the village out of sight.

* * *

Weary eyes blinked open heavily as a sudden weight caused Kaneli to stir from his slumber. Blinking slowly, he lifted his head up slightly in his hammock, moving to look around at the rest of the roost that was his home. His father was still sleeping soundly on the other side of the roost in a large dusty green hammock and it still seemed to be dark outside as he peered up to the window.

As he turned his gaze towards his own hammock, that was when his eyes noticed a sealed white envelope, sitting on his chest. Without much care or consideration, he grabbed the envelope, twisting it around to see his own name written on the front with a small note -  _'Read alone.'_

His curiosity now piqued, Kaneli moved to sit up in his hammock, suddenly very aware of all the small noises he had been making as he'd woken up. The soft movement of his feathers on the fabric of his hammock, the creaking of the wood that groaned with the morning breeze, he quickly shoved the letter into his small tunic, before deciding to read it after he'd found a more private spot.

The morning proceeded as normal, his father waking up grumpily, Kaneli having to sit around as the Elder idly chattered to himself about how much of a farce he felt the whole Calamity Ganon situation was and how Revali was just an arrogant brat with too much leeway. If Kaneli didn't know any better, he'd think his father was threatened of Revali's newfound popularity.

With his mood suitably soured due to his father's rather irritating views, Kaneli excused himself from the roost and quickly headed towards the marketplace. He briefly stopped at the town landing, pausing in silence as he realized that Revali had probably already left and he hadn't had a chance to say to the Champion so much as a goodbye.

He felt bad for having to cancel his practice the day before and suspected that both Revali and the Hylian, Link, had figured out that his father's influence had something to do with his decisions. The Elder had told him that if he wanted to train under Revali, he'd have to find a new home for he wouldn't have a son influenced by that troublemaker.

Kaneli really hated his Dad, right about now.

It was only as Kaneli continued his walk, soaring down to the slightly quieter lower part of the town that his eyes rested upon a familiar roost that he'd seen once or twice before. Revali's private roost. The Rito had lived there all his life and despite the worn age of the wood that lined the walls and the slightly dusty curtains at the entrance, as Kaneli peered inside, he noticed it had actually seemed a lot more homely than any of the other roosts in the town.

Something about the smell of a freshly used cooking pot or the many books and other knick knacks that piled around the roost told a story. Revali had definitely been raised here and everything in the roost was proof of that.

He figured this would be the best place to read the note, seeing as his father would never think to look in the Rito Champion's own roost for his son. And Kaneli assumed Revali wouldn't be too mad since Kaneli was his student after all.

So as he sat down on Revali's rather comfortable hammock, he tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper, a letter.

_'Dear Kaneli,_

_Though I am leaving the village today, I am by no means quitting as your tutor. Your father may be against my teachings and he may frown upon my work, but Kaneli, you have grown so much in the short few weeks that I have had the pleasure of training you for.'_

The brown Rito couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in his chest at the praise he was receiving. It was rare for Revali to really give out compliments like that and he even took the time to write this letter, so Kaneli couldn't help but feel a little special.

_'I have hidden most of my notes on archery on Vah Medoh. I fear that your father may try to search my property, as well as the Flight Range, but he cannot search the Divine Beast as I have placed a security lock on the shield surrounding Medoh. The Shiekah technology is incredible, it actually allows me to select individuals who can pass through the barrier. You, Kaneli, are one of those individuals.'_

Kaneli was one of the only people who could actually fly up onto Vah Medoh without a problem? That meant a great deal of trust had been placed in him by the Rito Champion, furhter validation of their unique bond as teacher and pupil. Kaneli was feeling genuinely awestruck at this moment.

_'Please keep practicing your archery. Develop your skills with my notes and practice. When I return, and I will return, I hope to see that your skills will have improved and that you'll be a more confident Rito. You are not your father and one day, I am sure you will make an excellent defender and leader of our kind. You can thank Link by the way, for this letter I mean. I was struck by inspiration when he mentioned your predicament on Medoh yesterday._

_I look forward to our next meeting,_

_Revali, Master of Archery, Champion of the Rito, Pilot of the Divine Beast, Vah Medoh.'_

He couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the Champion's rather long signature. That was proof this was definitely Revali's note and his words had caused Kaneli to shed a few tears at the words his teacher had parted from him with.

As he glanced out of the window of Revali's roost, inspiration and determination in his eyes, he could see Vah Medoh flying high in the clouds. And like the Divine Beast, he knew that his skills would rise just as high and when Master Revali returned, he would show the Champion just how far he had come.

* * *

When Revali finally caught up to the Princess and Link, the pair had already ridden their horses quite a ways out from the village, having taken the main road that ran through the Tabantha Highlands which would end with them crossing the large bridge that connected them to the Ridgeland region. He found them as they were passing through a small canyon, swooping down to land in front of the horses with a precise landing.

Epona and Storm both seemed to be unphased by the sudden appearance of the Rito, Link letting out a small chuckle as Revali brushed some dust from his feathers, while Zelda gave him an unimpressed stare for his entrance.

"Glad to see you could join us," Zelda started, spurring her horse back into action as Storm began to slowly trot along once more. "We were starting to wonder if we should wait for you."

Revali have a short sigh, rising from the ground to float along with the horses as they walked. "I apologize, but I had some personal business to finish up before I left. I think you can both agree that trusting the Elder with Vah Medoh would be asking for trouble."

"Did you come up with an alternative?" The Princess asked.

Revali nodded. "My pupil, Kaneli. If all is going well, he should have read the letter I'd left him explaining that only he is able to enter Vah Medoh at this point in time. I trust him more than his father, at least."

Link nodded at that, humming in agreement before his eyes continued to focus on the path ahead.

"Good," Zelda finally stated, nodding her head more to herself than anyone else. "Good, then we can proceed to the Gerudo Desert without any concerns then."

"Actually, may I ask just what exactly our plan is at this point? It takes two days to reach the Gerudo Desert by horseback, one if you're flying without such concerns," He added the extra part, gesturing to his wings. "Do we have a resting point in mind?"

Zelda gave a curt nod, pointing southwards as they emerged from the small canyon they had been walking through. "Safula Hill," She stated calmly, pointing in the direction of the Ridgeland region. "There is a shrine dedicated to horses there that we can camp at for the night."

Revali knew of the place. Though he had never been there himself, he had heard tales of the bright green light from the nearby Satori Mountain and that many of the Rito who had journeyed forth had found themselves resting at the horse shrine while searching for the source of the light. But this would be his first time witnessing the place with his own eyes and he couldn't help but looking forward to it.

"If you don't mind, I'll survey from the air," He stated calmly, glancing up into the skies. "If I spot anything of note, be it monsters or otherwise, I'll be sure to shout."

"Be careful," He heard Link call out from behind him.

Revali didn't reply, instead calling forth his patented move that he had still yet to name, creating an updraft that allowed him to soar up into the sky with fervent abandon, letting the feeling of adrenaline at exploring the land of Hyrule on a grander scale wash over him. He was actually leaving the Tabantha region for the first time in his life and he was ready.

"He's a lot more polite than he was in the village," Zelda pondered as the pair of Hylians watched the Rito gleefully soar into the sky. "How long do you think it will last?"

"I give it a day," Link replied quietly.

"Then what a glorious day it shall be," She muttered to herself, voice lowering to a whisper as a clear hint that she no longer wanted to talk.

Link couldn't help but be glad at that. On the road, he preferred to be distracted as little as possible by the people around him. Travelling throughout Hyrule was dangerous enough as is with the recent rise in monster attacks, but being the escort to Hylian Royalty certainly put the pressure on Link to be completely focused on the path ahead and on the lookout for any potential threats or problems.

"I'd recommend taking the left path at the next fork in the road," The voice of the Rito Champion called from above.

Link glanced upwards, seeing the dark blue Rito soaring just ahead of them with a smug look plastered on his face, although it soured upon looking at Link.

Meeting Link's gaze, the bird sighed before explaining, "There's a group of Moblins to the right path. I assume you, being the Princess's escort, would be grateful for the information, but given the confused look I'm getting from you, I assume you can't comprehend what I'm saying."

Link looked unimpressed, but turned to Zelda who nodded at the suggestion.

"Thank you Revali," She stated curtly. "Having eyes in the air is a valuable commodity and I am grateful for your help."

"As the best aerial tactician of all the Rito, of course my advice would be valuable. I am so glad that you can see the value in my words," Revali laughed, soaring back up into the air to continue his surveying.

"He's still an ass," Link muttered to himself, Zelda giving him a knowing look as they continued along the path.

The rest of the day was rather silent. They crossed the Great Tabantha Bridge as the sun was at it's peak, making their way through the surprisingly stormy Ridgelands without so much as a single encounter with any monsters of other creatures. Although Zelda did stop a moment to observe a small shrine-like ruin that was near the Tabantha Bridge Stable, much to Revali's impatience.

"Those shrines are all across Hyrule," Zelda had muttered as they crossed the bridge leading towards Mount Satori. "We've documented at least fifty of them and yet we've had no luck in engaging with them. Even after I used my Shiekah Slate and everything."

Zelda gestured to a tablet-like object that she had attached to her hip, Revali giving it an unknowing glare. It wasn't until Zelda pulled out the slate and began holding it up as their horses slowed to a crawl that Revali asked her just what she was doing to slow them down, as the sun was already beginning to wane.

"Oh this? I'm taking what the Shiekah believe to be a picture. You see, this device can capture moments with perfect clarity," She explained excitedly, gesturing to the screen on the tablet that was currently viewing a rather stoic looking Link through it's lens.

The Knight in question gave a glance at the screen, holding his hand up to give it a wave before turning back to his task of escorting the group.

"You say it can capture moments? Like a painting?" Revali questioned, curiosity piqued at this latest development.

Artists took days, sometimes weeks and even months to create works of art that tried to capture the essence of the real world, and yet here Zelda was with a small electronic device that was able to take completely perfect pictures in just seconds. Technology really was a marvel in this day and age.

"Exactly! Oh, when we reach the horse shrine, we should take a group picture," Zelda suggested, a rare smile forming on her face. "It would also be a brilliant way to document our journey across Hyrule!"

Revali snorted. "Don't expect me to act all buddy buddy with you in the picture. I'll still be in it of course, nobody can resist my visage, however I'll be keeping to myself," He'd explained with a huff.

"Suit yourself," The Princess shrugged.

"We're almost at the resting point," Link called out from ahead of them, the blonde waving to the both of them before pointing ahead to the further hillside where a large horse statue could be seen. "It's going to get dark soon, we really should hurry."

* * *

The trio had set up a campsite in the grasslands nearby the large shrine and the horse statue that was it's landmark, Zelda reading from one of her books while Link tended to a small campfire where he was quietly cooking away some raw meat that he'd harvested earlier in the day. Revali had taken to watching the roads and the surrounding mountains to ensure they weren't about to be attacked.

The Rito had taken the job mainly to avoid conversing with the duo by the fire, preferring to sit just outside the firelight in the darkness. He didn't feel like talking after flying for most of the day, wanting to simply rest his wings for a bit and keep himself company.

Still, that didn't stop Link from intervening a half an hour later.

As Revali was quietly polishing his wooden bow that he'd brought with him from the village, he'd heard footsteps and turned to see the blonde Hylian approaching him with a bowl of food in his hand.

"You haven't eaten yet," Link explained, holding out what appeared to be some sort of stew to the Rito.

Revali couldn't help but think that the aroma of the stew was certainly tempting and he was hungry, so with a quiet nod, he took the bowl from the Hylian, who seemed to take his gesture as an excuse to talk.

"Zelda said it was pretty great, hopefully it lives up to your high Rito standards," Link stated.

Revali couldn't tell if the Hylian was trying to be snarky or if he was actually trying to be nice, but he couldn't help his rather cold reply of, "A Hylian could never match the standards of a Rito in cooking, especially when I, the Rito Champion, am such a skilled chef myself." He noticed Link roll his eyes at the comment, prompting Revali to add, "You may think I'm joking, but my salmon meunière is a quality dish."

"Perhaps you should cook it for us at some point then," Zelda called out from by the fire, a smirk on her face. "Given how much you talk about your skills, it would be beneficial to see them in action, yes."

"It is only natural for you to wish to see perfection, Princess," Revali hollered back before turning his attention to the food that Link had prepared.

Link, noticing Revali's eyes moving to the meal, quickly turned to walk back to the fire and leave the Rito in peace, Revali almost missing the hushed  _'Enjoy the meal'_ that Link uttered out with a small smile.

Being left alone with the stew, Revali quickly took a spoonful of the food and sampled it, nodding quietly to himself as he began to tuck in to the meal. He was surprised, but the cooking wasn't that bad. It needed some more seasoning and the meat could have done with a few more minutes being cooked, but he had to admit, he was impressed.

Walking over to the campfire, he placed his bowl with the two used dishes that sat unattended before stating, "Thank you for the meal," nodding to Link out of formality, although the happy expression that lit up Link's face at Revali's words, though completely unexpected, did leave Revali feeling satisfied in a way.

"Link likes cooking in his spare time," Zelda yawned from her sleeping bag where she was currently dozing off.

"And I need to know this, why?" Revali drawled, noticing Link frown at his statement.

"Geez, it's simple Revali," Zelda huffed, voice exhausted, yet still firm. "Sharing facts about each other is a way to build morale. You know, that thing that groups need to work effectively."

It was as he feared. They wanted to make small talk with him about his life and his hobbies. Honestly, the mere thought of discussing his aspirations with the pair was revolting and he couldn't help but make a small grunt of disgust as he turned away from the duo, preferring to look out at the darkened and unfamiliar lands around him.

"This isn't over, Revali," Zelda warned, slipping in to her sleeping bag with a sharp glare at the back of the Rito's head.

The Rito snorted in response, grateful that she had chosen to give up the attempt at her excuse for a bonding exercise for now. Although as he settled down by the edge of the camp to start his first watch, he was surprised that the other Hylian had decided to move over and beside him, Link beaming as he sat down on the grass beside Revali.

"You should sleep," Revali stated coldly. "One of us should be getting rest if we're to protect your Princess."

Link didn't reply to Revali, instead choosing to watch the Rito as he sat on guard in silence. But Revali wasn't exactly happy that he didn't receive a reply back, nor did Link made any sort of gesture that implied he'd listened to the Champion's words.

It infuriated the Rito knowing that this was the Hylian Champion. A simple boy who couldn't even listen to another's advice.

"The stars are out tonight," Link suddenly said, breaking the silence and pointing up.

Revali's eyes raised upwards to the dark sky, noticing the bright twinkle of a thousand stars. It was rather serene, he had to admit, reminding him of times long gone by. He used to spend nights stargazing at the Flight Range or on the banks of his lakeside roost, wrapped in his mother's feathered embrace as they relaxed, looking up into the night sky and to the great cliffs westward of Rito Village, where it seemed the land reached up to the sky to touch the stars.

Without even realizing it, a tension that Revali hadn't realized he was holding it began to diffuse as he allowed himself a moment to just relax. From leaving the village and region of his birth to his disastrous social skills, he hadn't realized that the day's events were weighing on him.

"Do you watch the stars at night, as well?" Revali finally asked, not looking at the Hylian as he said it.

Link hummed quietly and Revali thought he could see the boy nod out of the corner of his eye.

The silence continued after that, the pair watching the sky without a word to be said. Revali thought he'd be the one to break the silence honestly, tell Link that he didn't want the company that night and that he should get some sleep, so he was surprised when Link was, once again, the one to break their next round of silence.

"What did you mean a moment ago?" Link asked, shifting his weight to look straight at the Rito.

Revali could barely see the boy, their campfire dimming down so that the light barely illuminated their features. The blonde's sandy hair was matted and splayed across his face, causing shadows to dance across Link's expression making him appear older than he was. There was a darkness that Revali hadn't noticed until that moment in Link's eyes, although it flashed away as soon as it came.

His own feathers were darkened by the light, his entire form darkening as his facial feathers caused shadows to play across the rest of his expression, hiding everything except his emerald green eyes.

"What are you talking about now?" He replied with an exaggerated sigh.

"You said,  _'Your Princess.'_ I just wanted to know what you meant by that," Link said quietly, glancing to where Zelda was sleeping peacefully, unaware of their conversation.

Revali couldn't help the furrowing of his brow as he raised a wing to his head in thought. Now that he thought about it, the phrasing was rather odd. It had just slipped out, although for whatever reason, he wasn't entirely sure.

"Revali?"

It was only when he noticed Link's darkened expression shift to concern that he made a conscious effort to reply. "I'm not sure, in all honesty," The Rito admitted, looking away from the Knight as the very look of confusion on Link's face seemed to awaken Revali's mind to the fact that he was talking to the very Knight that irritated him more than anything else. "If you're going to ask me pointless questions then you may as well guard tonight. I am going to sleep," Revali snapped with a hiss, closing his eyes and ignoring the sad look on Link's face as he chose to ignore the Hylian in favour of his sleep..

If only he knew that this would be the start of a rather crushing realization for the Knight he had ignored.

* * *

The chilly bite of a morning under the dawn-lit sky was something that Link was, admittedly, quite used to after his many journeys as an adolescent youth. Although nothing could quite prepare him for the cold that riddled his bones as he blinked his eyes open, aware that he had fallen asleep at some point during the night.

Glancing around, he could see Revali in a deep slumber just a few paces away, leaning on a rock with a small cloth cover draped over him. One look at the Rito's face was enough for Link to become entranced however, as he noted that in his sleep, Revali actually looked quite peaceful and serene, much calmer than his awakened counterpart.

Brushing off some dirt that had accrued on his shirt through the night watch, he picked himself up and began to quietly shake his limbs awake, chasing away the cold and giving his body some much needed circulation.

Next, he glanced over at Princess Zelda, who was still wrapped up in her sleeping bag, a book left open next to her where he knew she had been reading. Whatever page she was on had been lost to the harsh winds that had blown through the shrine during the night, but he was grateful that overall everything was as it should be.

Lastly, he went to check on the horses, giving Epona and Storm an apple for their troubles, brushing their manes quietly as he waited for the sun to rise above the Satori Mountain peak and illuminate the hill.

Although with the monotony of his actions, it gave him ample time to think about his conversation with Revali the night prior. When they had been stargazing, he felt that he was seeing a slightly different Revali from the one that had all the bravado and confidence. He knew there was something behind all that emotion, even if it sometimes felt like getting the good Rito out was not worth the hassle.

But he hadn't expected the Rito to snap at him when he'd asked about the Princess. He really was just curious about the phrasing Revali had used, but the cold response had surprised him more than he'd expected. Revali had shut down their conversation and clearly didn't want to talk to him anymore. And he hated that the Rito wouldn't even talk with him. Talking was such a basic commodity and Revali wouldn't even offer Link that in large doses.

Perhaps he'd be best ignoring the Rito and just not talking to the guy. Maybe Zelda would have better luck getting through the Rito's tough defenses.

Then again, Zelda had made it very clear that she wanted her Champions to get along on a basic level and she had seemed so pleased two days prior when the pair had returned from Vah Medoh in pleasant spirits.

"Geez," He muttered to himself as he began to set up the saddles on the horses. "Why do things have to be so complicated?"

It was around fifteen minutes later that he found himself helping Zelda out of her sleeping bag, the blonde nodding gratefully to her Knight as she walked down the hill to a small basin of water where she could wash her face. Revali had woken up as well, preening his feathers quietly in the corner, while packing up the few belongings he had with him.

The somber, quiet mood seemed to continue as the trio set off from their camp, Link lost in his own thoughts as he began his job of surveying the land around him. Everything was quiet as the sun quietly crept up into the sky, the group crossing the bridge that led to the Outskirt stable without much commotion.

Revali had soared ahead as he had the day before, keeping a watchful gaze on the surrounding wilderness, but nothing much of note was seen.

Passing the stable and giving a small wave to the workers, they continued with the sun high in the sky, intent on making it to the Gerudo Canyon Stable by mid-afternoon. Although Link had heard something passing by the stable that gave him cause for concern.

"Rumour is that a group of Moblins have taken up residence in the Gerudo Canyon," One of the female farmhands had told him enthusiastically.

He'd relayed this information to Zelda and Revali who both looked equally troubled by the news.

"If that is the case, we should be prepared for a battle," Revali had stated, gesturing to his bow.

"Agreed, there is no other route we can take to reach the desert so you will both have to protect me as best you can," Zelda explained, Link giving a stern nod, while Revali seemed equally tense.

Apparently the threat of battle was enough to calm the more cocky nature of the Rito, who took to the air in a more cautious manner, giving the pair on the ground a solemn stare as he did so.

"You'd think he was a different person," Link muttered under his breath, although not quietly enough it seemed.

Zelda glanced back at him, her tone slightly bitter as she stated, "It seems he knows how to separate his  _personal feelings_  and his work."

He couldn't help but inwardly wince as she emphasized the personal feelings, not making eye contact with the Princess as she gave a deep sigh and returned her gaze to the road ahead.

Zelda confused him. Sometimes she would be kind and they could joke around or laugh about their days, yet other times she would look at him like he was the last thing on earth she wanted beside her, disdain clear in her eyes. He wasn't an idiot though. He understood that his success in wielding the Master Sword and her failure at unlocking the sealing power for their fated roles was weighing on the Princess's mind.

But he'd much rather Zelda be cold and callous to him than the way she treated him now with the promise of a friendship that wasn't always there.

He had more consistency with Revali and they'd only known each other for a maximum of five days.

Although he had more important things to focus on right now. Pushing aside his feelings, he steeled his gaze to focus on the task at hand. Crossing the suspension bridges that led to the Gerudo Canyon trail, he had one hand on the reigns, the other ready to draw his sword at a moment's notice. If the Princess were to be assailed or killed here, his feelings wouldn't matter.

"Princess," The hushed voice of Revali called, said Rito soaring down, bow in hand. "Past this next turn, a moblin settlement."

"Stay back, Princess," Link hissed, hopping off of his horse, sword drawn from it's sheath in an instant. "How many are there, Revali?"

"Six dark black moblins," The Rito replied, tensing his wings as he gazed towards the bend in the road with intense trepidation. "I could probably take them on from the air, no problem." Revali gestured to the quiver on his back and the bow in his hand, cocky smirk on his face.

Link didn't believe that attitude for a second. The slight quivering of the Rito's wings gave away the nerves that he was sure Revali was feeling. After all, from what he knew about the Rito, this would be Revali's first true fight with the monsters of the land.

"This is very different from target practice at your Flight Range, Revali," Link stated quietly, hoping he wasn't overstepping the line here. "Living targets are a different beast altogether."

The Rito replied as expected, with an exasperated huff and a crossing of his wings. "I am very much aware of that fact, little Knight. And I can assure you that as the Champion of the Rito and their prized archer, I will not fail in bringing these creatures down."

Before Link could reply, the Rito took off into the air, bow and arrows in hand, despite Link's quiet protests for him to stop. They hadn't even considered a strategy and yet Revali was just barging in like he could take on six black moblins, no sweat, with no actual battle experience. "Revali, wait!" Link hissed, breaking off into a sprint towards the turn in the canyon.

The first thing he saw was the campsite that had been set up just ahead on the road, although the second thing he saw caused him to duck behind a stray boulder in the vain hopes that he hadn't alerted anyone to his presence. Six rather large moblins sat around the makeshift camp, some sharpening their spears, others eating some sort of raw meat.

As Link glanced up, risking a peek at the camp, he noticed a blur of blue land on the cliffside nearby. Revali had already drawn his bow and notched an arro-  _Crap_ , a bomb arrow!

If that arrow missed, the Rito could easily bring down the cliffside to block the road and then they'd be stuck.

Lucky for Link, Revali's shot didn't miss.

The arrow whistled through the air, slamming into the skull of the moblin furthest away. A loud bang erupted from the sudden explosion caused by the bomb arrow, dark black blood bursting across the camp in a second, the unlucky moblin's corpse slumping to the ground, a bloodied stump where it's head should be.

At this, Link took the moment to strike, leaping over the rock that was his hiding place before launching himself into the first moblin who was too busy looking at the remains of it's comrade to notice the sword sliding through it's gut until it was too late. With a roar, Link sliced clean through the second moblin, the rest of the group now aware of his presence, cried of anger echoing through the canyon.

The closest moblin towards him swung it's rather large bone-spear in Link's direction, thrusting it forwards, although Link, from his years of training, dodged it deftly with some light footwork.

"Revali, I need some back-up!" Link called out in concern, eyes shooting up to the Rito's form for a moment.

So he was surprised to see the Rito frozen in place, a look of horror etched into his features. And Link knew what was going through Revali's mind all too well. That was probably his first real killing experience, ending the life of an enemy like that. To Link, ending the lives of monsters was second nature, to Revali it was new and terrifying.

"Damnit," Link muttered, realizing he'd probably have to rely on himself to deal with the rest of the group, slicing his sword into the side of the spear-wielding moblin, the beast giving a roar as it dropped the spear it was holding.

Only Link couldn't defend from the second, sharper spear, that was thrust towards his right side, grazing the Knight as he attempted to move out of the way. A small patch of crimson began to leak from the wound, although it was nothing Link couldn't bandage up easily.

The Hylian was more concerned that he was running out of room to fight these four moblins who were all starting to close in on him, each now wielding rather large spears.

It was in that moment that something amazing happened, although Link would later say it wasn't that great, even though it was.

Link raised his sword, ready to deflect some attacks, when suddenly whistling through the air, three arrows slammed into three of the four moblin's skulls, killing the beasts instantly. They each gave out a pained roar as they all keeled over to their deaths, the fourth and final moblin looking terrified as Link took the opportunity to run the beast through with his sword.

As Link cut through flesh and bone, the final moblin gave a wail of despair before joining the others in an eternal slumber, the bloodied bodies already decaying into the earth, vanishing to dust with only some small monster parts being left in their wake.

The flapping of wings told him that Revali had just landed beside him and he turned to see that the Rito was trembling from the battle. "You feeling alright?" Link asked, concern flooding his voice as he placed a hand on Revali's shoulder to calm the Rito down.

It worked, much to his relief, as the shaking soon subsided, Revali letting out a smirk, "You shouldn't worry about me, Link. I am the greatest archer of the Rito after all. A group of moblins are nothing compared to my genius."

"For your first battle, you did well," Link explained, pointing to the four patches of blood belonging to the moblins Revali had felled.

"I don't need your praise," The Rito snapped calmly, turning away from the Knight to gather monster parts alone.

Zelda arrived with the horses a minute later, remarking at the great service they had done in freeing up the road, as well as praising Revali for his archery skills. She didn't save such praise for Link though, giving the Knight a nod and a rather emotionless smile before they departed.

At the time, he had thought she was trying to boost Revali's confidence by only praising him. Little did he know that the true reason behind her acts was bubbling deep under the surface.

They reached the Gerudo Canyon Stable just an hour later, tethering the horses with the stable manager before proceeding towards the desert on foot. The harsh wasteland of the Gerudo Desert was not a place for horses, especially with the sweltering heat that had begun to rise as the trio proceeded ever closer to their destination.

Revali had taken to walking with the Hylians now, the heat coming from the sun above being too humid for him to bear, so as they reached the edge of the canyon and the start of the desert, Revali had already taken the liberty of preparing some heat elixers with the monster parts he had gathered.

"It should take us roughly two hours to reach the Bazaar near the city," Zelda explained to the other two, who listened intently. "Once there, I will be escorted to Gerudo Town and you both shall remain at the Bazaar."

"Is that wise, Princess?" Revali asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"You're beginning to sound like Link," Zelda grumbled back, giving an undignified huff before replying, "I'll be fine. Gerudo Town won't allow men into their walls so you'll both just have to wait."

"I don't like this," Link muttered to himself as Zelda stepped forth into the desert, downing her heat elixir.

It turns out that Zelda wasn't the only problem though. As he would soon discover, Rito were not made for deserts.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"There is sand everywhere! How can you even stand this? I'll have to clean my feathers out twice! I'll be finding sand for days!"

All of those lovely comments and more were the source of Link's rather irritated mood as the Hylian continued to trudge through the burning hot sands, squinting as small specs of dust pelted his face. Zelda was likewise tolerating the rather harsh weathers of the desert, both of them quietly wishing that the wind wasn't as strong as it was that day.

And of course, they were both absolutely done with Revali's complaining.

The Rito had an uppity personality, that was for sure, and the extreme conditions of the desert were starting to show the cracks in the trio's companionship. Whereas the day before had been tolerable and Revali had been helpful to a fault, in the desert it was a different story. As Revali couldn't fly, he had to walk like the rest of the world and his usefulness was... limited to say the least.

As such, he had taken it upon himself to voice every last complaint he knew to the desert sands, as if it would actually be effective.

"I'm going to kill him," Zelda whispered, looking to Link with an intense look of loathing on her face.

"And my talons are burning like hot charcoal! This is an absolute mess of a situation," Revali announced loudly enough for the other two to hear.

Zelda's eyes were fiercer than the desert heat at that, her hands clenched into fists as she began to rapidly power walk faster towards their destination, Link making no effort to stop her. In fact, he sped up himself, hoping that some distance would keep the Rito's irritating voice out of his ears.

It didn't work.

"I am never setting foot in a desert again! How can anyone stand to live in a place like this?"

Link groaned. It was going to be a very long walk to the Bazaar and between Revali's nattering and the Princess's intent to kill, he had to wonder,  _'Why me?'_

When they finally reached the Bazaar a half an hour later, Revali was still prattling on about this and that, although his complaints ceased for a moment as he noticed the oasis waters that sat in the center of the desert settlement.

"Sav'aaq," They heard a rather gruff voice call out, Zelda turning to greet who Link assumed would be her escorts.

Two Gerudo women, bright red hair, cutlasses at their side, tanned skin. One was small and skinny while the other was large and brawny, but both greeted Princess Zelda was a smile. "You are Princess Zelda, yes?" The smaller woman asked.

"Sav'aaq, I am indeed," Zelda replied politely, any anger from her feelings towards Revali gone in an instant, her voice radiating nobility. Link was always impressed with how she could switch between dialects so easily.

"Good," The larger woman stated. "We are here on behalf of Lady Urbosa to escort you the rest of the way to Gerudo Town. The Voe must remain here."

At that, the larger woman pointed towards both Link and Revali, the former looking unimpressed while the latter was too busy preening his feathers to give a damn about the Gerudo women.

"We are aware," Zelda replied with a curt bow, turning to Link and Revali. "I shall return tomorrow with Lady Urbosa. We will then journey to Vah Naboris where I will inspect the Divine Beast." She went to turn away after relaying her information, but paused for a moment before adding, "Try to get along, will you."

She was saying it more to Link than to Revali as her gaze burned directly into him. Just great, after Revali's whining on their journey, he felt that the Rito would be much harder to approach, much less continue to befriend. Zelda was getting the easy job, honestly.

With her parting plea finished, Zelda took off with the guards and vacated the oasis with enough speed to rival a sand seal, leaving the two males to their evening at the Bazaar.

The silence as Link continued to watch as the Princess grew more distant along the desert dunes was tense and uncomfortable given she had just made it clear she was done with their attitudes towards each other, despite the progress that the pair had made to at least tolerating each other.

"Well then, left alone at last it seems," Revali finally said, breaking the silence. He didn't get a reply from the Knight who was still watching the direction that Zelda had walked off in intently, the Rito rolling his eyes. "She's not going to be attacked when she's being escorted by those that live here, you know."

"Anything can happen in a world where the Calamity is looming," Link muttered quietly, still looking out to the desert, much to Revali's annoyance.

"Well, I'm going to try and attempt to remove the sand from my feathers," Revali announced, stepping towards the set of tents and buildings that lined the Bazaar.

"You go do that," Link grumbled, finally tearing his gaze from the direction of the Gerudo capital to finally get a good look at the dusty Rito in front of him.

Though Revali's complaining had irritated him to a high degree, he had to admit that the bird did have a point. Revali's feathers, just from the few hours in the desert, looked faded and darker than they were hours before. Not only that but the rather clumped up sweat from the heat had caused some of his feathers to stick together, which Link had to admit looked rather uncomfortable, although not as melodramatically unbearable as Revali had made it out to be.

It was only then that he realized just how tired he was. From the constant travelling across the desert sands and their battle with the moblins earlier in the day, he could feel a sense of fatigue building in his muscles, and he didn't even want to get started on how bad he smelled. His clothes needed to be brushed off as well lest they lose their colour and overall he just needed a good night's rest.

Although he knew right away that sleep would be a near impossibility when the Princess wasn't around. Her safety was his primary concern and being unable to protect her was something he could tell would eat away at his mood for the rest of the day.

The pair ultimately decided to try and find shelter for the night at the local inn, the Gerudo woman who ran the place offering them a small discount due to Link's status as a royal guard and even allowing them a room with connecting private showers. The fact that they even had showers was a surprise to Link, who had assumed that only the Hylians had advanced their technology enough to create mechanical showers.

"The Gerudo and the Hylians are on friendly terms and trade technology for produce," Revali had explained with a smug smile. "You'd think they would teach you about political trade routes during your training."

"I was too busy learning how to fight," Link said, stalking into one of the shower rooms for some privacy.

"And yet they didn't teach you how to properly utilize a bow and arrow," Revali taunted as he slammed the door shut, blocking out the irritating Rito.

Link always found himself amazed at how quickly the water heated up when it came to the showers. He was so used to bathing in freezing cold water in the Zora's Domain or the cool refreshing rivers that flowed through Hyrule that hot water on the skin felt like a dream.

And as he scrubbed away at all the dirt and grime that had been building up, he realized then just how long it had been since his last proper wash. Days for sure, he had to admit, brushing off some caked dirt from his heels, glad to feel refreshed after journeying across half the continent. Everything felt warm and soothing, his muscles relaxing from a tension that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Honestly, he needed to shower more often.

Dressing himself in some spare clothes that he'd stowed away in his small pack, he made his way back into the shared room to get a good look at their place for the night. It was a traditional Gerudo room, lots of reds, yellows and oranges to mirror the desert outside. There was a small window at the far side of the room where a brown curtain hung, lined with some sort of golden thread.

The bed at the corner of the room was lined with sheets that were intertwined with the same golden fabric, with two white feather pillows at the edge of the bed. He glanced over at the hammock that had been set up for Revali, noting that unlike the rest of the room, it stood out as being more makeshift, just a few brown sheets tied together.

He sprawled himself out across his bed, glad to not be sleeping on the floor after the night before, although it definitely wasn't as comfortable as the beds from the Rito Inn. Something about the crisp mountain air and the feathered bedding of the Rito just sat right with him. The Gerudo lifestyle often felt too lavish in comparison to his rather rustic roots.

"You'd think we were staying in a palace," His roommate announced, dressed in a spare brown leather tunic and some spare white trousers, striding in from his own private shower room. "The Gerudo truly have a way with treating their guests."

"As do the Rito," Link muttered, mind still mulling over the comfortable beds of the Rito Inn.

Revali's arched brow as he sat down in his hammock told the Knight that he'd heard his comment. "The Rito understand a person's needs, both physically and mentally. The crisp mountain air - truly a feeling that this dusty desert cannot comprehend - the night sky above Hebra... It's a wonder why more Hylians don't make the trek to my home town."

"Well the Elder's an ass for one," Link replied casually, glancing over at the bird who was now staring up at the ceiling lazily. "Tabantha's a pretty dangerous region as well."

" _We_  were fine crossing the Tabantha Frontier," Revali countered with a shrug of his feathers. The Rito knew his point didn't hold up though as it was his guidance and high flying skills that kept them from running into Moblins the day before.

Link didn't reply, letting the quiet of the evening sink in as the room began to gradually dimmer from the sunset outside. For all the worries he'd had when Zelda had left, having a shower and letting some of the tension go had kept the pair from their usual grumpy or stoic moods. It felt just like two days prior when he'd leaped onto Vah Medoh and Revali had given him a small ounce of respect.

"Your archery was impressive today," Link finally said as he decided to light the room's lanterns that hung from the ceiling.

"Of course it was. I worked day and night to hone my skills as an archer," Revali replied, a smile plastered on his beak. "I will admit your ability to wield the Master Sword was impressive also. To wield a weapon of that size in one hand, even I can tell when someone has trained."

"Was that a compliment, Revali?" Link asked incredulously, although the small smile and the boost of confidence the praise gave him caused his voice to falter in his sarcasm, instead sounding genuinely surprised.

The Rito turned, his emerald green eyes locking in with the sky blue eyes of the Hylian Knight. "I was only stating the facts." Yeah, that was a compliment. Or at least, Link imagined that was as close as he'd get as far as his current... friendship with Revali was, and he hesitated to call it that even though there was no other label.

As Link walked back towards his bed to sit down once more though, he noticed the small wooden bow that Revali had used that day propped up against the wall near the window. With that, a small question began to burn inside of him and before he could tell himself to shut up, he'd blurted it out.

"That was your first real battle, right?" Link asked, watching the other for a response.

Revali didn't reply for a few moments, an unreadable expression gracing his face, his body tensing up as he folded his wings in thought. When Revali finally answered the Knight, there was an uncertainty in his voice, something that Link was surprised to hear from the Rito. "In some ways, yes, that was my first experience with combat of that kind."

"Some ways?" Link asked, curious about what Revali could be implying.

The Rito, however, shook his head. "I would rather not discuss that topic. It is... rather sensitive," He admitted, some of his bravado fading as the Rito seemed to fall into his own little bubble of memories.

Whatever it was, Link found himself hoping that one day they'd be close enough to discuss it. Perhaps it was his naturally friendly attitude or the fact that he did try to see the good in everyone, but after almost a week with the Rito, he felt confident enough to say that perhaps Revali wasn't as bad as he'd originally came across. And that was saying something.

He only hoped that their progress would be enough to keep the Princess from commenting on it.

* * *

Gerudo Town, as it's name suggested, was a town inhabited solely by the Gerudo Clan, a group of desert-faring women who were hardened by the grit and dirt of the wasteland they had originated from. But Zelda had to admit, as she stepped into the open air Throne Room of the main palace, that despite their brutal fighting styles and their hardened gazes, the Gerudo people were perhaps the most lavish of all of Hyrule's races.

A dark royal blue carpet stretched across the large throne room towards the main throne, an ornate golden seat of power that was covered in a soft, plump, red velvet pillow. Curtains hung from the ceiling, draped across the pillars lining the room like posh festival decorations and of course, the architecture and stonework placed into every brick stood out.

This was definitely a royal palace.

"Please wait here, Princess, we shall fetch the Chief," One of her escorts stated with a bow before striding away through a doorway to the left where Zelda could see a familiar set of staircases.

Zelda couldn't help but feel nerves begin to blossom in her chest as she stood in the Throne Room, the heat of the desert causing her to feel slightly faint as she awaited the arrival of her dear friend. She had not seen the Gerudo Chieftan since her last visit over two months prior and though not much had changed, she felt apprehensive this time around.

Urbosa was a powerful warrior and a Champion of her people, yet she was also their Chief and the heart of the desert. She couldn't help but feel bad that she would be depriving the Gerudo of their people for such a long time, what with the inauguration of the Champions, plus their visit to the Spring of Wisdom was to happen soon after, which added the stress of her own responsibility on to everything else.

She was a strong-willed and rebellious girl, as her Father had said to her many times, yet she truly did wish to unlock the sealing powers inside of her. Her mother had promised Zelda that her powers would awaken one day and she would be a bright light for her people...

She couldn't help but blink away a few tears at the thought of her mother, her guiding light who departed this world too soon.

"You're looking well, Little Bird," A commanding female voice called out, breaking her from her thoughts as she turned towards the speaker.

Zelda's eyes lit up as she took in the taller woman in front of her. Urbosa had decided to wear her traditional royal armour of a breastplate adorned in blues, reds and greens, complete with two shoulder gauntlets all lined with golden bindings. She wore her large red hair in a massive ponytail, having to be wrapped twice just to contain the hair inside. Two rather large earrings hung from her ears, large golden hoops.

She was adorned in jewelry from head to toe and her dark green skirt and high heels ended the look with stunning grace. Honestly, Zelda had to wonder how this woman could fight like a demon in high heels, it was inspiring.

"Lady Urbosa, good evening," Zelda replied, giving the Champion a curt, yet firm smile. She needed to play the part of a Princess for now, if only for a moment.

Urbosa seemed to get the idea, nodding curtly to the Princess before stating to the escort that had stayed with Zelda, "I'll take her from here. She's a friend," Urbosa explained calmly, Zelda sending her a relieved gaze as the escort bowed and left the room.

The pair waited for a few moments, Zelda keeping her stiff posture until Urbosa quietly murmured, "Everyone's gone, Princess."

Zelda took no time at all after that statement to relax her posture as Urbosa moved to wrap her in a small hug. Zelda let out a surprised yelp, although the teasing laugh of the Gerudo Chief eased the nerves she had been feeling as that familiar feeling of being safe for the moment enveloped her.

"You've grown again," Urbosa remarked as she let go of Zelda, motioning for the Princess to come with Urbosa to her private quarters. "It seems like yesterday that you and your mother were visiting. You were so small back then, Little Bird."

"It's good to see you again, Urbosa," Zelda smiled, her face burning red from the embarrassment of Urbosa's memories of her youth.

"How's your old man been treating you? Any better than last time you were here?" She asked, curiosity dripping from her voice. "Because if he's treating you badly, I have no problem tell-"

"No, no, it's fine Urbosa!" Zelda had almost screamed out, lowering her voice until it came out as a squeak. Urbosa's gaze as they entered her private quarters, which were as equally lavish and furnished as the Throne Room, turned to the Princess, her expression clearly giving off a single message.  _'I don't believe that for a second, but just for you I'll keep quiet.'_

"You're so tense, Zelda," Urbosa drawled as she looked the Princess up and down. "Your mother always used to love the Gerudo Spa we have here in the Palace. It'll do you some good, I'm sure."

"Oh, I couldn't possibl-" Zelda began.

Urbosa quickly interrupted. "Oh no, Princess, I wasn't asking you. I was telling you," She said with a knowing smirk. "If you're worried that your Knight and the Rito Champion will find out about your little spa day, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about that at all," She snapped, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Link does not need to be around me 24/7, nor am I incapable of defending myself."

"Nobody is suggesting that, Little Bird," Urbosa spoke, her voice warm and calm. "You are capable of great things. Your mother saw it in you and so do I, you just need the right environment and the right people around you to help let your power out."

Zelda looked up at the Gerudo woman, her eyes somber and cold as she muttered, "If only things were that simple, Urbosa..." Her eyes dwindled to the floor, the room's atmosphere darkening as the Princess felt her spirits dampen.

Urbosa looked at the Princess, hand to her chin in thought as she tried to take in the situation. She'd been tasked by Zelda's mother with keeping her daughter safe and as it was a request from her dear friend, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that the Princess was safe, secure and most importantly, happy.

For Urbosa knew exactly what was eating away at the Princess's thoughts as Zelda had confided in her many times in the past. Zelda truly believed that something was wrong with her, that something was stopping her from accessing her powers, though she had no idea what it could be. It was painful to watch as the Princess prayed for days upon days without any luck, wondering just what she could be doing wrong.

But the Gerudo woman would do what she could for the Princess. Zelda needed someone strong to rely on and to confide in and though Urbosa was a pale comparison to the mother that Zelda had lost, she tried her best with the Princess and was the mother figure that the young woman needed in her life. Or maybe the sassy aunt, Urbosa liked that idea.

"Zelda, what am I going to do with you?" She asked to herself, the glum blonde looking up at her confused. "Tonight, you are going to relax and enjoy a day at our luxurious spa. And then tomorrow we can go see Naboris."

"You won't take no for an answer will you?" The girl said timidly, looking from Urbosa to her lap, eyes weary from the world.

Urbosa grinned. "Now you're getting it, Little Bird."

As Urbosa carefully took Zelda's hand to lead her in the direction of the spa, the woman paused for a moment, wonder appearing on her features as she turned to look at the Princess with a curious glance. "Actually Princess, before we go, why are the Hylian and Rito Champions not here in the town with you?" She knew exactly why Zelda had left them behind, but she wanted to hear the Princess say it. "You know I'd be able to bend the rules and allow them in the Palace just from their ranks, right?"

Zelda's face turned a deep shade of red at that, looking away in embarrassment at having been called out for her slight deception, the Princess looking anywhere but at Urbosa. "Well, the escorts told me to leave them there," Zelda spluttered out.

"They would have allowed them passage had you explained their titles," Urbosa stated, the guilt written on Zelda's face. "Out with it, there's something you're not telling me, isn't there."

"Oh, why do you have to be so perceptive," Zelda huffed, crossing her arms in mock anger. "It's just... Those two don't get along and I figured leaving them to fend together for the night could help them out a bit."

"From the brief times I've seen Link, he's always seemed friendly with everyone," Urbosa thought quietly, a devious smile spreading from cheek to cheek. "So this Rito Champion must be something else if you're saying Link's having trouble with them."

Zelda nodded at Urbosa's comments, adding, "That's about right. Revali - that's the Rito Champion's name - is a rather strong personality. And he can be rather standoff-ish at times." The Princess glanced out towards the town, deep in thought although still talking about the Rito quite avidly. "He's a bit of an outcast in his village and our first meeting was surprising, but he's not a bad person at all. He's just got a lot of walls... A  _lot_ of walls."

"Sounds like he's wound up too tight if you ask me," Urbosa drawled. "I could fix that for you."

"Oh goodness no," Zelda panicked. She knew that Urbosa's relentless teasing would probably cause an argument between the Gerudo and the Rito and anything to keep that can of worms shut would make her happy. "He's just initially very cold, that's all... and arrogant. But skilled..."

"If he can back up his skills in a fight, he can be as arrogant as he wants. That doesn't mean I'll just let him bloat his ego too much though," The red-haired woman explained with a low grumbling chortle. Zelda had to wonder just what the woman had planned as Urbosa's face darkened like some evil mastermind at the thought of teasing the Rito Champion.

"So the spa then?"

* * *

The next morning, Zelda came back to the Bazaar with Lady Urbosa in tow, the Gerudo Chief causing eyes to turn as all the men at the Bazaar clamoured around the oasis waters to get an eyeful of the most important Gerudo that was living in Gerudo Town. And Urbosa was loving the attention. Flattering every man she came across and giving her patented smiles to the people, her popularity was unmatched.

Although the moment one rather brave Hylian went to grab her arm, a shock of lightning and a rather furious looking Urbosa sent him scurrying away as quickly as he'd approached. Though Urbosa was no stranger to attention, she was also only tolerant of it to a point, ensuring that the whole Bazaar knew that she was not someone that could be messed with.

Revali had to be told by Link to shut his beak as he saw Urbosa bring lightning down on the poor fellow, his feathers bristling uncomfortably from the sudden crackling sensation that seemed to fill the Bazaar air and Link couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the flustered Rito's behaviour.

"So you must be the two Champions that Zelda left behind," Urbosa announced as she approached them, her green eyes scanning the pair from head to toe.

She had to admit, the pair were certainly more competent than most of the Hylians and Rito she'd met in the past. With Link, she could see the muscles of his training, the hardened stare in his eyes... He had seen his fair share of battles, she guessed. The Rito was curious though. Revali looked strong, his wings were certainly well kept and sturdy, his talons sharp and his posture perfect. But she could sense the inexperience in his eyes. He'd not seen many true battles or... For a moment, she thought there was something else in the way the Rito was looking. No... She probably just imagined it.

"I am Urbosa of the Gerudo, Champion and Pilot of Vah Naboris," She explained confidently, her gaze moving past them towards the deserts east of the Bazaar. For there, her Divine Beast roamed, the large mechanical camel plodding through the desert proudly.

I'm Link, the Hylian Champion," Link explained, gesturing to the Master Sword on his back before stretching his hand out. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You've heard of me?" Urbosa asked. "Only good things, I hope?"

"Zelda loves talking about you," Link replied, a cheeky grin on his face, Zelda's expression promptly changing to a tomato red.

Leaving the two Hylians to their devices, she turned her attention to the Rito, who bowed politely towards her. "I am Revali of the Rito, Pilot of Vah Medoh. I'm pleased to meet another Champion such as yourself," He said curtly.

"Likewise," Urbosa shrugged. "I hear you're a good shot."

Revali nodded, gesturing to the wooden bow at his back. "I'm the best archer among the Rito."

"And the best chef apparently," Link whispered, grinning deviously at Revali. "Something about making the best salmon meunière among the Rito, that's what you said a few nights back, right Revali?"

Said Rito's silent rage and ruffled feathers towards Link's words didn't go unnoticed by the Gerudo Champion, who arched a brow incredulously at Revali. "The best chef among the Rito? And the best archer too? Does our Rito Champion have any other hidden talents?" She couldn't help but laugh as she stated that last part, Revali crossing his wings with an angry glare.

"If you're just going to make a mockery of my talents, I'll take no part in this conversation," Revali stated angrily, turning away from the Gerudo.

"I wasn't mocking your talents," Urbosa replied with a devious grin. "I was just mocking you."

Zelda groaned aloud at that. This was not how their first meeting was supposed to go.

"I hate all of you," She groaned, stalking off in the direction of the tethered up Sand Seals that they'd be using to reach Vah Naboris.

"Now look what you've done, Revali," Link said, trying to hold in the laughter as the Rito fumed silently.

"This is abuse," The Rito muttered to himself, walking after the Princess with a perpetual frown on his beak. Although Link couldn't help but notice the Rito seemed a little more angry than he'd normally let on. There was a distinct tension in the air that left Link feeling concerned.

As the pair stormed off, Urbosa couldn't help but comment, "She wasn't kidding, he can't take a joke." Link couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, the tension evaporating, at the Gerudo woman's comment, the pair sharing a look before walking off after the irritated Princess and Rito.

The journey across the desert was a much more pleasant experience compared to their trip to the Bazaar the day before, with Urbosa's guidance and the sand seals that had been provided. The four of them had taken off across the dunes, skimming across the pristine white sands towards the hulking mechanical form of Vah Naboris in the distance.

Though it was a quiet journey, Link noticed that for the first time since arriving in the desert, the Rito Champion was neither complaining, nor trying to make any sort of conversation what so ever. Sure, the Rito was probably pissed off with Link and Urbosa's little teasing session back at the Bazaar, but Link had never seen the Rito so uncharacteristically quiet in the week that he'd known him.

And the Hylian Knight couldn't help but feel a little pang of concern for his comrade in arms, even if Revali would rather die than take his pity or confide in him.

Revali himself was admittedly lost in thought as the group began to draw closer to the Divine Beast, the Rito unsure as to how to proceed forwards with the group he had found himself travelling with. His first impressions with Urbosa had clearly not gone well and Link had made it all the more worse with his jests, while Princess Zelda seemed generally annoyed with the whole group.

Though he had wrought the ire of his village in the past with his harsh attitude, he had actively tried to tone himself down if only to ensure that he wouldn't be instantly loathed by Urbosa, someone whom he felt was on his level as a Champion. She was the leader of the Gerudo, as such she was also worthy of the title of Champion, unlike a certain Hylian whom had only proven his worth with a sword and nothing else.

He knew that for the sake of Hyrule, he needed to get along with the Champions, perhaps even form a sort of friendship with them if push came to shove, but there was still that small voice inside of him, nagging at his thoughts and telling him that they don't really care about you. He was, after all, the only Rito who could attune to Vah Medoh and it had been a very much forced partnership, unlike the tales he'd heard of the other Champions who had all volunteered without issue towards the cause of felling the Calamity.

Little did he know that Urbosa had been carefully keeping an eye on her new companion since they had left the Bazaar and he'd soon find out just how perceptive she was, for an hour later, once they had arrived at Naboris and Zelda had excused herself from the group to go and survey the machinery, letting the other three rest for a moment, that Urbosa had cornered Revali on the platform just outside of the beast.

"Something's bothering you," She'd stated when she was sure Link and Zelda were out of ear shot.

The Rito regarding her with a weary gaze, trying to act rational and calm, although the flicker of surprise in his emerald green eyes was more than enough to tell the Gerudo woman that she was right in her perception.

"You don't have to tell me what it is," She drawled, standing next to the Rito to survey the desert sands outside of her beast. "But you'll find that I have a way of  _discovering_ things."

Revali didn't ignore the emphasis she put on her nature to discover things, although he felt that keeping his calm stoic composure would be his best bet at getting out of this conversation relatively unharmed.

"I think you'll find that I am fine, Lady Urbosa," Revali replied curtly, yet coldly. He didn't want to speak.

"Keep telling yourself that, feathers," He heard the Gerudo woman mutter, turning to her with an irritated squawk.

"What did you just call me?"

She gestured to his entire body. "Feathers, that's what I called you. Because you've got tons of them."

"My name is Revali," He stated through a gritted beak, that irritation from the morning beginning to rear it's ugly head once more.

"Oh, I know feathers..." Urbosa smirked. "...but seeing you flustered is so much fun."

Revali stormed off without a second thought, his face red hot from sheer embarrassment and anger, wanting nothing more than to just take off and find a quiet spot in the Divine Beast to go and hide. It seemed to Revali that he'd been permanently painted as one of Urbosa's prime targets for this relentless teasing that she seemed to spout whenever anyone got to close and it made him angry to no end.

He'd done absolutely nothing to provoke her ire. It was all Link's fault that he'd even been targeted in the first place, what with the Hylian just having to bring up his superior skills as a chef - which was completely true regardless of how it affected the situation - and helping Urbosa to seemingly get a rise out of the Rito.

So he was surprised when a little while later into the day, while Urbosa was showing Zelda her progress with Vah Naboris, that the Rito found himself being accosted by a rather apologetic looking Link while he was sitting on the roof of the beast.

" _What?_ " He snapped as the blonde approached from the inside of the beast.

Link flinched back at the coldness of his voice, but pressed on regardless, the blonde man looking at the Rito before muttering a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"Could you repeat that?" Revali asked.

They both knew he'd heard it the first time. That didn't stop him though.

"I'm sorry," Link repeated, louder this time.

Revali narrowed his stare towards the Hylian, a silent fury awakening in his eyes as he quietly stated, "Leave me be, Link."

The blonde refused to budge, although that heavy conviction that had steadily burned in Link's eyes ever since they'd met seemed to be that little bit dimmer at those words. "I really am sorry," The boy repeated, voice just a little sadder. "We're not friends yet, I know, so I shouldn't have teased you like that this morning. It was ru-"

_'We're not friends.'_ Those words seemed to echo around the Rito, Revali folding his wings as it only confirmed what he had been thinking ever since they had left the Bazaar, the rest of Link's apology blocked out completely. Though there was a sense of camaraderie born out of their roles, he knew that true friendship was something he'd never have with these people, who clearly thought so low of him that they'd mock him.

"Just leave me alone," The Rito darkly muttered once more, Link taking the hint and backing off quietly. It had been a short conversation but as the Hylian Champion re-entered the Divine Beast, it was only then that Revali seemed to realize just how much self-loathing he was feeling for himself right now, a feeling that he thought he'd buried when he was just a young boy...

A crowd of children's voices calling out his name, teasing him, hurting him. Parents telling their kids to look away, disdain in their eyes as the watched the small blue feathered Rito child stumble through the marketplace, tears in his eyes. A silent promise to himself to lock that vulnerability away...

Blinking, Revali found himself back on Naboris, as if that brief instance of his memories hadn't even happened. He didn't want to remember those day... All he knew was that he needed to be confident, he needed to be sure of himself. It was the only way he'd ever be accepted.

And if that didn't work, then who needed friends or companionship or all that mushy stuff.

He was the Champion of Rito, moping atop a Divine Beast in the middle of the Gerudo Desert, for goddesses sake. "Get yourself together," He muttered to himself. "You're better than this, better than  _them._ "

He didn't believe a word coming from his beak.

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the depths of the Divine Beast, Link was facepalming, a low groan of frustration echoing through the lower rooms of Naboris. The Hylian had just come back from attempting to apologize for his actions and his behavior, but the proud Rito was having absolutely none of it. And it didn't help that his words had only further angered Revali, who'd basically forced him out of the conversation before he could even start it.

The Rito Champion was a difficult guy to crack. On the one hand, Revali had absolutely no problem with insulting others when he felt like it, but when someone said something back, god forbid he throw a tantrum. He'd thought that maybe it was because Revali thought he'd made a bad impression on Urbosa, but that couldn't be further from the truth in Link's mind.

Zelda had told him about Urbosa before and she had always been more forceful with those she didn't want around her. He'd even noticed her walking away from the Rito after a brief conversation earlier in the day, so clearly she wanted to get to know the Rito.

"Something wrong, Link?" He heard Urbosa's voice say, turning to see the Gerudo woman sitting on a ledge just above him. "You look a little worried about something. It's not feathers, is it?"

"Feathers?" He asked curiously.

Urbosa pointed up to the top of the Divine Beast. "Revali, of course. I like giving the men I talk to nicknames, although I'll make an exception for you since you're so kind."

Link snorted. He had to admit, it was a pretty apt description of the Rito.

"Yeah, it's Revali," He finally said, resting his head in his hands. "I just can't seem to get through to that guy. And I've been trying, believe me. Over the last few days, I thought we were actually getting somewhere but apparently this morning just rattled him."

"He has seemed a little silent," Urbosa remarked. "Zelda did say that he complained all the way to the Bazaar about the desert sands, and yet we heard not one peep out of him during our journey here." She glanced up to the top of the Divine Beast, deep in thought. "For a man like that to be so quiet..." She turned back to Link, a deep concern in her eyes. "It's concerning."

Link nodded in agreement, letting out a long sigh.

Urbosa raised her eyebrows at that. "There's something else troubling you, isn't there."

Another nod. "It's still related to Revali but... He's not the most receptive towards my role in our group."

"How so?" Urbosa hopped down from her ledge to land in front of the Hylian, curiosity in her tone as she walked over to Link. "You're the Hero of Legend, right? That Master Sword proves it."

"Not according to bird brain, up there," Link grumbled. "I spent three days trying to convince him to at least acknowledge me because he felt I wasn't worthy of fighting the Calamity."

Urbosa let out a hollow laugh, grimacing at the ceiling of the Divine Beast. "Sounds to me like he's just upset that he couldn't play the part he wanted."

Link shrugged his shoulders. Knowing the problem was only half the battle. Just because he knew Revali was jealous of his role, that didn't mean he knew how to solve that issue.

"You know what I think," Urbosa said, giving Link a warm smile. "I think that you both just need some time. You've known each other for a week right? We can't expect to be all buddy buddy after a few short days. Sure, he's jealous of you and sure, he's refusing to talk to you now, but I believe you and feathers could be good friends down the line."

"What makes you think that?" Link asked curiously.

Urbosa laughed, her voice booming through the Divine Beast until she finally calmed down enough to say, "Call it Urbosa's intuition. Really it's just a hunch, but you're both brooding over this whole situation and you can't mope around forever, not when there's a Calamity to be sealed away."

Though Urbosa's reasoning was borderline ridiculous, Link had to admit she had a point. When the Calamity came, he'd need to be ready, they all would need to be ready, and moping about was certainly not going to help things in the slightest.

"Thanks Urbosa," He muttered to the Gerudo woman.

"Anytime," She replied, turning away to go back to monitoring the Divine Beast.

* * *

The next few days were quiet to say the least. Revali had taken to brooding atop Naboris while Link had taken to watching Zelda and Urbosa work on the Divine Beast. There was definitely a tension in the air and Zelda had noticed, grumbling as she worked that everyone should just get along and that they were all working towards the same goal.

And Urbosa, bless her patience, was doing her utmost to keep the trio on her Divine Beast from fracturing any more than they had already. Being the mother of the group was something she didn't think she'd have to deal with, given they were all Champions, but as she soon learned, that was far from the truth.

"I think it's high time we leave the desert, don't you," Urbosa said to the Princess the third morning after their arrival at Naboris.

Zelda glanced up at the desert woman from her notes, stating wearily, "I think you may be right, Lady Urbosa. A change of scenery would be nice."

"Those two need it more than you do," Urbosa stated, gesturing in the direction of Link, who was pretending not to listen, and Revali, who was still atop the beast, ignoring everyone else.

"Fine," Zelda muttered. "I'll make preparations. Perhaps being cooped up in this Divine Beast hasn't done me much good..."

Link couldn't help but think it was better than being shouted at by the King.

A few hours later, the group had decided to ride Naboris to the entrance of the desert, where they would then pick-up their horses from the Stable and continue on their way. Naboris cut the journey time down so they arrived at the stable at noon, the four departing Urbosa's Divine Beast quickly, Link already moving over to the stable to greet the horses.

Revali took it upon himself to take to the air and scout ahead as usual, while the other three began the long trek back to Central Hyrule on horseback, passing the old moblin camp that Link and Revali had dispatched a few days prior, Link grimacing at the dried blood that had sunk into some of the rocks. Revali ignored it completely, refusing to even look down at the group as they passed through it.

Their next destination was the Zora's Domain where they would be meeting Mipha, however they were to first take a detour north of the Domain to pick up Daruk, the Goron Champion, who was making his way towards the Foothill Stable as the intense heat of Death Mountain was too much for the rest of the Champions to scale.

Hell, bringing Mipha, a Zora of the rivers, to a fiery lava-filled mountain would probably fry her alive and nobody wanted that.

It was only as they passed the underside of the Great Plateau and came to rest under it's stone walls for the night that Revali took the time to land and relax his wings. He'd been flying all day and wanted nothing more than his own privacy. No monsters were on the roads that day so it was quiet and peaceful, but when his eyes glanced off to the north as he settled against one of the rocks they had set up camp by, he realized that this was the first time he'd gotten such a good view of the famous Hyrule Field.

It was a sea of green blades, grass that was untamed and wild, yet vibrant. He could see wild horses in the distance galloping through the foliage. He could see small forests dotting the landscape, leading up to the large mass of stone and life that was the Castle Town. It was very far in the distance, around a day's ride from their spot but he could see the light and life even in the night.

He'd never been to the Hylian Capital and he was definitely curious as to what the culture was like there. How would they react to the Champions, especially himself given his background? Were there other Rito who lived in the Castle Town? Small questions like that dotted his mind.

"Here," He heard a voice beside him mutter, glancing up to see the very reason for his moodiness holding a pot of stew.

Wordlessly, he took the stew from the blonde Hylian, who seemed to stand there for a few moments longer than Revali would have liked. They were on bad terms at the moment after all. And just as he thought the boy was going to say something else, Link shrunk back and walked off.

"You should accept his apology Feathers," Urbosa drawled from the rocks a few paces away, silently watching. Had she been there the whole time? Revali hadn't noticed her, but she'd certainly noticed that... interaction between Link and himself.

"If a mere apology could fix things, I wouldn't be so upset," He snapped back.

"So you are upset then?"

Damnit, his weary head had caused him to slip up. He was meant to be stoic and independent; he didn't need to discuss his feelings with anyone, nor did he want to bother another Champion with his issues.

"What am I going to do with you, Feathers?" She asked to the night sky. "You're so bottled up, like a tiger in a cage."

Revali narrowed his gaze, irritated once more. Urbosa had that effect on him.

"We're all comrades remember. You might think hiding your problems is helping, but I already have a Princess in denial about her feelings, I don't need a Rito being stubborn as well."

"Were you not the one who told me that I didn't need to tell you anything a few days ago?" Revali replied with a sneer.

Urbosa held her hands up mockingly in defeat. "I said I wouldn't force anything out of you, but I also said I have ways of discovering the truth. Your slip of the tongue before, for example." She smirked at him. "So you are upset then," She repeated, this time a statement, not a question.

Revali tore his gaze away from the woman, irritated that all of these emotions of his were showing. He was known for his composure in the air and his skill with a bow and he had many years of practice to hide his emotions behind his illustrious bravado. So  _why_ in the Calamity was it all coming undone now after a few days with a Princess, a Knight and a Gerudo no less. It was like the start of a joke, one he wanted no part of.

"Well, your silence says more than your retorts do at least," Urbosa sighed, shifting her weight away from Revali so she was facing the other way. "When you want to talk, we'll be here to listen."

But Revali knew he'd never want to open up to these people. Complain about how Link had said they "weren't friends" so casually and talk about the deep-rooted jealousy he felt at the Knight's role in all of this? Bothering such an important, yet imperatively nosy, Gerudo with such trifle wasn't worth the effort. They were here to do a job, not to play therapist to Revali's selfish whims.

For he knew his thoughts were certainly selfish and he knew that his jealousy was getting in the way of his work. But knowing something is bad and acting on how to prevent it was another thought entirely.

He wondered how he would cope with all of this stress once the inauguration was over or how perhaps for the first time in his life, he was feeling way over his own head.

But nobody needed to know these doubts. Nobody needed to be bothered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is truly the chapter of dialogue. There were a lot of discussions that needed to happen and as such the pacing's a little erratic. Probably my least favourite chapter at the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Zelda announced a decision that had Link practically reeling.

"I am going to go with Urbosa to meet with Daruk on my own," She had announced with all the authority she could muster, glancing between Link and Revali with a determined expression. Urbosa had her brow raised, clearly aware of what the Princess was up to.

Link had tried to argue the Princess down, it was his job to protect her after all and the King would have his head if anything were to potentially go wrong on the journey, but before he could even state his intentions, Urbosa was already talking him down.

"Rest assured, nothing will harm the Princess with me around," Urbosa had reassured, Link still feeling extremely concerned.

Zelda had then turned to Link, then pointed over to Revali, who seemed just as displeased as Link was about the whole situation with his folded up wings and irritated demeanour clearly sending the rest of them a signal. "You both shall go to the Zora's Domain and escort Mipha. We shall meet at the swamplands by Inogo Bridge and from there, travel to the castle."

At this, Link had pulled Zelda aside, concern on his face. "You cannot leave me with Revali," He hissed. "He hates me right now, the last thing I want is for another fight to break out."

"You are a Champion of Hyrule, Link. If you cannot handle being in the presence of the Rito Champion without keeping your emotions in check, perhaps the Goddess has chosen the wrong person to wield the Master Sword." Begrudgingly, he admitted that Zelda was right, the girl giving Link a stern glare before turning away to check on her horse with Urbosa.

He could already hear Revali groan in annoyance behind him, but Link didn't want to deal with that right now. Instead of acknowledging the Rito, he took off towards his own horse and began setting up for the day's ride, wondering just how well he was going to deal with the arrogant Rito this time. Zora's Domain couldn't come soon enough.

"Alright, we're setting off," Zelda announced to her Knight, giving him a glare that seemed to suggest that she had better not hear from Mipha that the pair had been arguing, to which Link replied with a shrug of his shoulders and a concerned look.

"See you around Link, Feathers," Urbosa nodded, relishing in the way Revali's feathers bristled angrily under the nickname. Link felt bad more than anything.

"Great," He heard Revali mutter to himself. The Rito then turned to Link, uttering a cold, "I'll fly ahead."

Even with the tension between them, Link couldn't help but let out a small, "Be careful," like he had the day they left the Rito Village. He hoped that the kind gesture would be enough to perhaps get Revali to ease up on him given he knew he'd screwed up with that damn friend comment the other day.

The Rito didn't bother to reply to his words, taking off without a word into the skies ahead, Link's face scrunching up in frustration when he was sure the Rito had all but vanished from his sight.

If there was one plus side to this silence though, it was that Link was finally alone for the first time in what felt like forever. Having been assigned to Zelda's side for so long, he couldn't help but relish in the break he had been given, even if there was always the fear that something could happen to the Princess with him out of the way. Shaking his head of those distracting thoughts, he hopped onto his own horse.

Without Zelda and her tentatively slow galloping speeds during the day, he realized he could go at whatever speed he chose, setting his horse to a quick pace, eyes glancing up in the sky in an attempt to see if Revali had noticed he was planning on picking up the pace that day.

After a minute with no Rito flying down to mention it, he assumed Revali was fine with the change of pace. Honestly, he wanted to get to Zora's Domain as quickly as possible, knowing Mipha would be waiting for them and would probably be a good distraction from the idiot in the sky.

It was around an hour into the journey through the marshlands that the weather seemed to take a rather drastic turn. He felt the telltale patter or rain as the sun was swallowed by murky grey clouds.

The droplets felt familiar though. From his time in the Zora's Domain as a child, he'd grown accustomed to some of the storms that whipped up around the area. Staying on horseback was normally the best option and he was good at navigating the wet terrain of the swamplands.

However, that was when he noticed a rather large set of blue feathers just ahead on the road, soaring low towards the ground. Revali had come to a stop just ahead, Link pulling up to see that the Rito's feathers were absolutely soaked through by the rain. Revali's emerald green eyes were glancing at his wet wings with fervent anger, apparently not having noticed Link behind him.

"Are you alright?" Link asked cautiously, the other Champion eliciting a surprised squawk as Revali span around to face the Hylian, one of his braids hanging limply over his eyes.

"Do I look alright to you?" Revali growled.

"You look soaking wet," Link remarked casually, ignoring the rain pattering around them.

"Oh, I look soaking wet do I? Well, perhaps that's because it is raining and I was flying near the clouds!" The avian screeched, his shrill voice causing Link's horse to recoil a few steps backwards.

"Can you still fly?" Ever the businessman, Link just wanted to get to the Domain quickly, especially with the storm. If Revali had landed, that could only mean one of two things, that he needed a rest or...

Revali's annoyed silence as he looked away at a particularly interesting blade of grass was enough for Link to get the message.

"Get on," He sighed, looking at Revali with a tired glare.

"On that foul beast? With you?" The Rito replied in horror.

Link rolled his eyes, letting out a very frustrated sigh as the rain began to fall just that little bit harder. "Revali, if you don't get on, we're not going to make it to the Domain."

"You think I care? I am the Champion of the Rito, I will not allow myself to be carried around by a filthy horse-"

And at that moment, Link's horse took Revali's flapping wings as a sign to step close and nudge itself against the Rito's side playfully. Revali leapt backwards with a squeak, eyes wide, wings now outstretched to keep the horseback.

"Wild, untamed beast!" He spluttered, composure completely broken.

"Revali, you think I want you to ride with me?" Link groaned, unable to even take any pleasure in Revali's reaction. "Given how much you hate me, even after everything I've done to try and make it up to you, it's not like I'm going to enjoy this either."

"Oh, there you go, making all of this about you Link," Revali shouted.

Link couldn't help that strangled scream of irritation that left his throat. "Fine, walk! I'm leaving, you can mope in the rain!"

With that, Link set his horse into a gallop and sped off without a second glance towards the Rito. Revali, for what it's worth, waited until the Hero was out of sight before slamming a wing against the nearest tree from sheer anger. But not at the Hero, but at himself.

"Every conversation is an argument these days," He growled to himself. "He just brings out this anger inside of me and I can't think straight! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him..."  _I hate him, I hate him, I hate... I..._

Revali sighed, his form slinking down to rest against the tree, breathing out a tired weary sigh.

"I hate this..." He muttered quietly.

Why couldn't he just let go of his own pride for five minutes? Last night, he'd thought about his jealousy affecting his work but with Urbosa's chat from the night before, Link's many words and his own pride hanging over him, his mind felt absolutely fried from the different directions he was being pulled.

And the blasted rain wasn't helping.

He glanced up at the clouds, wondering just how long the storm was going to stick. Probably a few hours, judging by how the clouds were moving. No matter where he was in the world, be it Tabantha or here near the Lanayru Province, the rain was the same.

"I should get moving," He muttered to himself, attempting to psyche himself up for the long walk through the swamplands, pushing himself up from his slumped over position on the ground.

That was when he heard horse steps clopping along towards him, his eyes glancing down the road to see Link and his horse approaching very slowly from the direction that, a few minutes prior, he had stormed off in.

Revali noted the tired look in Link's eyes as the rain continued to fall.

"I'm not actually leaving you behind," Link finally said quietly.

Revali was silent. The mere sight of the knight made something inside of him twist uncomfortably, but for once rather than let it show, he quelled the feeling down and walked towards the horse slowly.

"I acted..." His sentence trailed off before he began, looking up to the blonde, his beak clamped shut until he finally spluttered out a single word. "...Foolishly."

"You're not wrong though," Link muttered through gritted teeth, holding the reigns steady. "I did make it about me. But really I hurt you, that's what started...  ** _this_** ," He stated, gesturing to the pair of them.

"Hmph." Revali folded his soaked wings, cocking his head to the side to look at the road ahead.

The pair were silent as the rain continued to fall. After a few moments, Revali sighed and walked over towards the horse, carefully eyeing its face as Link helped him hop up onto the back of the saddle. Revali's first thoughts were about how absolutely horrific it felt to be sitting on such a lumpy saddle, trying to hold his wet wings down as Link looked back, giving him a sardonic brow raise.

"You might want to hold on to me," He muttered quietly.

"Excuse me?!"

"Do you want to fall out of the saddle?" Link pointedly asked, his tone clearly betraying the frustration that was underlying his voice.

With an undignified huff, Revali tentatively swallowed what little of his pride remained and lowered his wins around Link's back, ever so carefully. He admittedly was trying to grip as lightly as possible, though when Link finally pulled on the reigns and the horse began to trot forwards, his wings instantly clamped closer to Link, a look of pure horror crossing his face as the horse galloped.

Revali imagined Link was probably laughing at him on the inside. About how he couldn't handle a horse of all things. It wasn't his fault his species flew everywhere. They had wings, they needed no horses at the village.

Link, meanwhile, was trying to hold back the laughter, though it was admittedly coming from a good place. He could feel Revali's tenseness, the awkward way the Rito was holding onto his waist, the small squawks of surprise every time their steed sped up. It was like watching a child attempting to ride a horse for the first time.

An hour later, they had crossed the marshlands, headed northeast until the pair could see the large mountain range and the valley within that held the Zora's Domain. They passed Inogo Bridge, the place where they were to return with Mipha to meet with Zelda, the wetland cliffs of the Lanayru mountains offering a brief respite from the rain as they provided a natural source of cover.

Though with the road treacherous and the path ahead slippery and wet from the rain, it was Link's decision to leave their horse at the meeting point.

"It's too dangerous to ride a horse along this path in these conditions," Link explained, tying up his horse to one of the bridge's posts, leaving a small pouch of food and a note for the princess, on the off-chance that they didn't arrive back in time to greet the other Champions.

Revali was grateful just to be off the four-legged beast. He rubbed his sore back from having to slouch over Link the whole time on the ride, his tattered pride at not being able to fly his own way across the Marshlands dragging along in the dirt behind him as the pair set off up the Domain road.

Soaking wet and irritable, Revali was back to his usual grumbling from the moment they began their trek, complaining about the weather, about his feathers, the journey and every little thing he found to be an issue.

Link was glad for this change though. The last time Revali had been this chatty was during their walk through the desert when they had arrived for Urbosa, before Revali had gotten all uppity about the teasing between them. There was definitely still some tension in the air as they crossed further into the Zora's territory, but that horse-ride had definitely done a number on the irritation between the pair.

It was about halfway through their trek towards the Zora domain that things took a turn for the worse. Revali, arms folded, grumbling to himself in silent mutterings, was starting to lag behind Link ever so slightly, so caught up in his own complaints that he failed to hear the silent sound of footsteps in the rain.

His talons dipped into a particularly deep puddle, the Rito growling in frustration. "Great, now my talons are absolutely soaking wet. Just great!" He announced to the world, Link glancing back to look at his companion with an eye roll.

But as Link looked back, his eyes widened, hand reaching for his sword as in that instant the telltale cry of a creature screeched into their ears. Revali only had a moment to dart his gaze backwards before he felt a spear slam straight into his chest, sliding back to the ground with a cry and a thud.

Link was already at his side in an instant, glaring daggers at the four Lizalfos that began to slink their way from the bushes.

"Are you alright?" Link asked sharply.

Revali pushed himself up from the ground quickly, a dark look crossing the avian's features as his emerald green eyes took note of the enemies that had ambushed him on their hike. "How rude..." He growled, pulling out his bow, drawing an arrow from his quiver, trying to ignore the stinging in his side from where the spear had hit him. "Ambushing me, the Champion of the Rito."

The whistling of an arrow flying true was enough to cause the Lizalfos to jump back as a thunk was heard, one of the creatures crying out in pain as the arrow embedded itself in its stomach.

In that instant, Link dashed forwards, sword in hand, slicing at the wounded Lizalfos, blood splattering across the cliffside as the dying wail of the creature echoed across the path. The Lizalfos crumpled to the ground, decaying into dust, leaving the stains of blood behind.

But even so, that didn't stop the other three Lizalfos who all charged forwards with an intense fury, two charging at Link, one sidestepping the rest to see to the archer. Revali quickly moved to grab another arrow, taking a few steps back as he did so in an attempt to keep away from his foe, but the Lizalfos was ever so slightly quicker, closing the distance before the Rito could pull back his bowstring.

Link sliced at the two Lizalfos badgering him, the pair wielding crude looking swords which Link was able to deftly dodge rather easily, slicing at them until their defences broke and left them wide open for the killing blow. That feeling of his sword tearing through the monsters as if they were nothing, it was one of the few constants in his battles that kept him calm.

They dropped to the floor in a dissolving mess, the blonde Hylian turning towards his companion to see Revali backed up against the cliff-side, the Lizalfos threateningly leering over him with a sharpened boomerang.

In an instant, Link was racing towards them, realizing quickly that Revali was definitely not able to draw and notch another arrow at such close-quarters.

Revali, realizing he'd need to resort to other methods, quickly dropped his bow, not having the time to resheath it, instead diving for the belt around his waist. A slight glint was the only warning the Lizalfos had as the desperate Rito thrust a pair of daggers straight into the lizard's torso. The Lizalfos's eyes bulged in a horrific manner, bloodshot and horrified as Revali, grimacing as he did so, dragged the daggers downwards in an attempt to cut the lizard wide open.

The avian's arms were shaking horrifically as he did this, monster guts spilling to the ground, the Lizalfos's blood coating his feathers as the creature crumpled, fading to dust.

Link breathed a sigh of relief, that was until he saw Revali's face. It seemed just as similar as it had been when they fought the moblins. He looked absolutely horrified.

"Revali, are you alright?" Link asked, walking slowly up to the Rito, who finally took it upon himself to resheath his knives and retrieve his bow.

"F-Fine," Revali stammered, the bird turning to the Hylian with an unreadable expression. Though it settled on pain as Revali's left-wing instinctively reached for his side where the first Lizalfos's spear had connected. "Just a scratch, that's all."

"Let me see," Link stated calmly, not giving the Rito a chance to counter as he pushed Revali's wing out of the way.

The wound itself was caked with blood, the feathers around the area uneven and messy. Though it didn't look too deep, which Link was ever thankful for. Revali had managed to avoid a serious injury, one that could have resulted in the loss of a Champion before they had even become official under Hylian law.

"Wrap your arm around my shoulder," Link said once more, completely serious.

Revali, of course, overreacted, "You what!?"

"If we can reach the Domain, Mipha should be able to heal your wound. But you'll only slow us down if you try to walk on your own," Link explained with a shrug. "Unless you'd rather I leave you here."

Revali initially wanted to say, "Leave me here then," but as he was about to open his mouth, his mind began to think. The Princess and the other Champions would surely hear about this. Revali would never hear the end of this if they heard about his weakness. He'd be the laughing stock of the group, even more so than before according to that wretched Gerudo.

"Fine."

Link blinked slowly, clearly taken aback by the answer he received. "I wasn't actually expecting you to agree," He admitted.

"I will not be known as the Champion who was taken down by a Lizalfos's spear," Revali snapped back, wrapping his feathered wing around Link in a rough grip, much to the surprise of the Hylian. "Now lead on, oh Hylian Champion."

The snark was certainly not lost in his voice as they two begun to trek their way, albeit at a slower pace, towards the Domain. Link knew that they'd definitely be late getting back to Inogo Bridge at this rate, but better to be safe than sorry. The Princess would kill him herself if something were to happen to either him or Revali.

Revali, for what it's worth, was quiet. With a gritted beak and a scowl to scare away the goddesses, he walked alongside Link while trusting the Hylian not to abuse the fact that he was wounded. Link didn't say a word or say to stop and Revali pushed forwards with all the reserves he had. He'd never felt such a blow before and could tell when he was fighting a losing battle with trying to not rely on Link.

So begrudgingly he allowed Link to guide them for the next few hours of the walk, taking very brief stops, which Revali made sure to express were for the pair of them, not just to rest his wound. Just the night before, Revali had been so adamant that he didn't need anyone, yet here he was having to rely on Link for the entire journey to the domain.

From the rain and being unable to fly, the trip on horseback and now this wound... Revali inwardly sighed, wishing his mind wasn't so lost in turmoil over his feelings of pride.

Finally, just as Revali was beginning to feel the last of his strength wane away, the pair heard voices up ahead on the mountain path. They were still a good hour away from the domain, but the unmistakable sound of people talking was enough for Link to speed up his movements ever so slightly.

"Hello?!" He called out loudly, trying to grab some attention.

And there, turning the bend of the path, three figures that Revali recognized instantly as that of the Zora people, came into view. One was a rather portly fellow, as small as an old Hylian man with faded blue scales, though unlike the old men of Hyrule, this Zora carried himself with strength, a small spear at his side. Behind him, two much taller Zora stood, one a bright pink, who's twinkling yellow eyes widened as she saw them, while the other, a lean green Zora, rushed forwards when he saw the pair trundling up the road.

"Are you two alright?" The female Zora called out, rushing over quickly before a hand went to her mouth as she saw the state Revali was in. "We have a wounded!"

The taller green Zora was by her side in a second, looking down at Link and Revali, extremely tall, much more so than the pair of them. He peered at them, eyes settling on the sword on Link's back.

"Are you, perchance, the Champions sent to collect Lady Mipha?" He asked in a low gravelly tone.

Link nodded before gesturing to Revali. "We had an encounter with some Lizalfos down the path. Because of the rain my companion was unable to fly," Revali visibly crinkled his nose at the word companion, Link giving him an irritated nudge at the gesture. "He needs medical assistance."

The older, yet smaller, blue Zora walked over to them, looking to the Rito, then to Link before his eyes widened in surprise. "Link, is that you? How much you've grown since you last visited!"

Link breathed a sigh of relief as he got a closer look at the Zora standing before him. "Gezu, it's good to see you doing well," Link smiled back. "I wish we had time to talk but Revali needs aid and fast."

The older Zora raised a hand in thought, before turning to the other two Zoras. "You both shall carry these two to the Domain," Gezu announced. "It is the fastest way. I will meet up with you later after I finish our patrol."

"But Sir Gezu, will you be alrig-" The pink Zora began.

"Of course I shall be fine. I am a skilled Zora Spearman." Gezu gestured to the large spear that he carried, before looking over to Link and Revali. "Has your friend ever ridden a Zora before?"

Revali was about to state that he had not when Link beat him to the punch with a, "He hadn't even ridden a horse before until earlier today." Suffice it to say, Revali was very angry at that point, removing his wing from around Link's shoulder with a harsh tug.

"Your pointless jests are what got us here in the first place," Revali snapped. "I am the Champion of the Rito. We have wings, we have no need for horses in our village."

"Clearly you need umbrellas instead," Link sarcastically muttered, Revali giving the blonde Hylian a brief smack across the back of his head with his wing as recompense. "Okay, I deserved that one."

"Excuse me, are you both done?" The pink Zora asked cautiously.

Link and Revali both looked to each other for a moment, then back to the Zora, Revali feeling his feathers beginning to ruffle in embarrassment. Link nodded silently, moving towards the two larger Zora who was already walking towards the river that ran alongside the cliffs.

Revali followed close behind, an uncertainty to his steps as he watched Link grasp on to the back of the pink Zora with ease, as if he'd done this a thousand times before. If Revali cared, he might remember to ask Link about his experiences with the Zora, but his focus was on the pain in his side.

"You just grab on to Lemurr's back and let him do the work," Gezu stated to Revali, the Rito giving a hesitant nod to the older Zora who, as of yet, had done no wrong.

He was beginning to realize just how weird this whole experience was when he wrapped his wings around the green Zora, who he now knew as Lemurr, unsure as to what else the Goddess was planning on chucking his way today to cause him stress and confusion.

"Hold on tight," Lemurr muttered. "Are we ready to go Melia?" He called out, the pink Zora turning and nodding with a curt smile.

Without a second to waste, Melia leapt forwards into the freezing waters of the river, diving down for a brief moment before resurfacing with Link having gotten a rather casual dunking that he seemed to shake off instantly.

Luckily for Revali, it seemed that Lemurr was a lot more careful in entering the river, attempting to make sure Revali didn't go under due to his injury. Though Revali couldn't help the wince as the river water flowed against the wound on his side, small splotches of blood washing away in the clear river.

"Alright, let's go!"

Revali would look back on this entire scenario with absolute horror and try to block it from his mind, no matter how much Link would bring it up in the future, for travelling on a Zora's back, being effectively dragged through the river, was an experience that left Revali feeling nauseous and uncomfortable.

He was a creature of the air, not of the water, his feathers weighing heavily as Lemurr and Melia sped upstream, the pair holding in.

And through it all, Link seemed perfectly poised and okay the whole journey through. It made Revali's stomach tighten in irritation, knowing that this was something Link was 100% better at than he was and there was nothing he could do about it.

Though finally, around ten minutes later, at the speed the Zoras were swimming, their destination finally came into view.

Revali always thought that the Rito Village was an impressive place of architecture, a wooden utopia above a lake in the crisp mountain air. But Zora's Domain was something else entirely. Raised glimmering walkways and curving, decorated structures lined every part of the Domain, made of a dark blue rock that seemed to shimmer like scales.

It looks like a palace, twisting and turning into the mountainside, covering the city from the sun's harsh rays, or in the case of that day, the rain's downpour.

Lemurr and Melia stopped when they came to a large grassy bank, which led up to one of the main entrances to the domain. Link swam up to the shore first, pulling Revali's soaked form up as Melia pulled herself on to the bank.

"I'm going to go and check on Sir Gezu," Lemurr stated, Melia giving a nod as the tall green Zora kicked himself back into the river, swimming away in the blink of an eye.

Melia turned to the pair, gesturing to the entryway, "Shall we?"

Link quickly took Revali's wing around his shoulder once more as they clambered the hill that led to the entry point, the Zora ride having clearly taken a toll on the Rito and with his feathers and clothing soaking wet, he was extremely weighted down.

The two red Zora guards each gave Melia a nod as she returned, though their eyes lingered on Revali curiously before a familiarity washed over them as Link appeared beside him.

"Ah, Link, welcome back to the Domain," The leftmost Guard stated with a Zora salute.

Link gave a weary smile, nodding to the pair of them, passing them by as they entered the main part of the Domain.

The architecture of the domain was something else, but as Revali walked along the walkways of the Zora's kingdom, he realized just how much it fit their race. Dark blue marble passageways, quaint yet well-designed buildings lining the walls... It felt like he was standing in an underwater reef or a cove.

"Oh my, Link is that you?" A girl's voice called out, the pair turning towards one of the spiral staircases that led towards the upper level of the Domain.

A small red-skinned Zora was running down towards them. She wore silver jewellery across her entire body, her head shining from the silver headware atop it. She wore no traditional clothes, though Zora's had no need of clothing, unlike the Rito, Gerudo or Hylians. Across her body, matching the silver jewellery were many light blue crystals that shone in the light of the day.

What Revali noticed most of all though was the glistening of her fins that almost seemed armour-like, a deep yellow and blue that contrasted beautifully with the deep red scales that made up the majority of her skin. She was like a vibrant, almost majestic, being and as those deep golden yellow eyes met his own, he realized that this had to be Mipha, the Zora Champion.

She quickly ran towards the pair, stopping in front of them and clasping Link's hands in her own both from excitement and trepidation. "I was so worried given the weather, but Father said it would be best to wait for an escort than to risk heading to Inogo Bridge myself," She explained.

"It's good to see you too, Mipha," Link smiled warmly, the young Princess smiling back sweetly.

Though her attention soon turned to the newcomer to her Domain, Revali meeting her gaze awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to say. Unlike Urbosa, he wanted to at least get off on the right foot with this Champion, lest he become even more of an outcast. "You must be the Rito Champion," She bowed, embarrassingly, clearly upset at having ignored such an important visitor.

"Indeed, my name is Revali," He nodded politely, much to Link's surprise. "You must be the famous Mipha I've been hearing so much about."

Mipha's white scaled face turned to surprise at that, the woman looking away softly as her eyes rested on the floor beneath her. "Y-You've heard of me? How embarrassing."

"Only good things, I assure you-" Revali continued, though his words dropped as he sharply gasped out in pain as his side seemed to contract with pain.

"Are you hurt?" Mipha quickly asked, her voice serious and concerned.

Link nodded, pointing to Revali's side where the wound was. "We were attacked by a group of Lizalfos on the way here, he needs healing," Link explained quickly.

"F-Follow me," Mipha stammered, quickly pulling them towards a side-building that was empty save for a bed and a table. "If you'll allow me, I can heal your wounds," She explained as Revali was settled down onto the bed into a sitting position. He quirked a brow, having heard Link mention that Mipha could heal in passing an hour prior, yet still there was a scepticism in his tone as he replied.

"You can actually heal wounds?"

Mipha nervously nodded. "It's a power passed down the royal bloodline of my family..." Her eyes glanced down at her hands for a moment before adding, "...from my Mother." Then without warning, she placed a palm on Revali's wounded side, much to his surprise and pain. "Please stay still and I'll do what I can."

Revali was about to snap back and tell her to keep her hands to herself when suddenly he felt a warmth radiating from where they were placed on the wound. The pain that he had been dealing with for the past few hours had begun to slowly but surely numb itself away. That warmth was pleasant, not too hot, not too cold, just the right feeling, as if whatever wound that had been there was being taken care of in a tender, nurturing way.

The feeling left Revali shaken to the core. That sort of tenderness, the clear care that Mipha was using as her healing power was active, it was something he had never felt himself... Not since before his parents...

And then suddenly that feeling vanished, replaced with... well, nothing. Blinking, he noticed Mipha had withdrawn her hands, standing next to him in anticipation. He glanced down, eyes widening as the wound that had been inflicted upon him was completely gone. Even his feathers had returned to their original orientation.

"Thanks, Mipha," Link said relieved.

"Indeed, a healer as skilled as you is a most valuable asset," Revali muttered, more to himself. "Thank you," He finally said towards her, the female Zora smiling ever so curtly at the entire ordeal.

They stood in silence for a moment, unsure on how to proceed, until suddenly Mipha blurted out, "I apologize if this is inconvenient but... Where is Princess Zelda? Was she not to come with you?"

* * *

The next few minutes were spent with Link filling Mipha in on the whole plan to split up and take out two Champions with one stone. She seemed exceptionally glad that she wouldn't have to brave the fires of Death Mountain and was grateful that Link took the time to come and collect her. If Revali didn't know any better, there was something going on between that pair.

"My father will want to speak with you both," Mipha explained afterwards, leading the pair out of the house towards the stairwell that she had seen them from when they arrived. "He will be happy to see you again Link."

"How is little Sidon doing?" Link asked, attempting to make small talk.

"Oh, that boy is just so shy," Mipha lamented. "If he is to become King one day, he needs to be more confident, more proud of himself. But he's been quite quiet ever since I was chosen as a Champion."

"If you don't mind me asking," Revali interrupted. "But who is this Sidon?"

"My younger brother," Mipha replied.

Revali couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that. "I think he'd get along well with Kaneli, don't you think Link?"

Link, still surprised at just how casual Revali was being, hummed in agreement. "Kaneli's so outgoing, I bet he'd be a good influence on Sidon."

"Well, if you don't mind  ** _me_** asking," Mipha chuckled. "But who is this Kaneli?"

Revali shrugged. "My pupil. As the best archer of all the Rito, he came to me for tutelage."

"Couldn't resist that little bit of bragging, could you," Link groaned, though not in a malicious way.

"Well, I cannot wait to see your skills for myself, Revali. I look forward to working with you," Mipha bowed, leading the way up a large set of steps to the King's Chamber.

King Dorephan was a larger than normal Zora. Dark Blue scales and a scar on the tip of his forehead, he seemed powerful and had definitely been in his fair share of battles in the past. And as his eyes met those of his visitors, a loud booming voice greeted them.

"Ah, welcome, welcome Champions-" Though he cut himself off as he realized that there were only two to greet him, settling on Link. "It is good to see you again, Link my friend. But where is Princess Zelda? Is she not travelling with you?"

"Princess Zelda and Lady Urbosa are collecting Lord Daruk from Death Mountain," Mipha explained quietly. "We are to meet them at Inogo Bridge tonight."

"Ah, my lovely daughter. What fine company you will take from this point forth," Her father boomed joyously. "And you back there, feathered one, must be the Champion of the Rito!"

Revali nodded, unsure as to whether to bow, settling on just stating his identity and leaving it at that, "I am Revali of the Rito, yes. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"How dare you not bow before our King," A horrid old voice croaked out, Revali's eyes glancing towards a rather gaunt looking green-skinned Zora, looking middle-aged and annoyed.

"Muzu, it is fine," Dorephan laughed. "He is a Champion, after all. We should be bowing before him."

"Please don't," Link pleaded at that. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"Damn right, you won't," Revali snapped at his comrade, shaking off the blatant teasing as he tried to keep his composure. He was trying to make an effort here.

"Well, never the less, I am pleased you will be looking after my daughter. She is the heart of the Zora people and we are so proud of what she has been chosen to achieve."

Mipha looked down to the floor, humbled, yet mortified. "Father, you're too kind, truly."

"Now then, now that I see who my daughter is escorting, my mind is at ease. Tell Princess Zelda that she should visit one of these days, I would much like to speak with her again," Dorephan explained, waving them out as quickly as they came in.

Link nodded, turning and practically dragging Revali along as Mipha gave one last bow and smile to her father.

"What an odd friendship those two have," Dorephan muttered to himself, Muzu glowering at the group as they left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That feel when you're actually alive and didn't forget that this fic existed. Next chapter, Hyrule Castle Town and meeting Daruk! 
> 
> Revali and Mipha are getting along which is something I didn't plan for in the first draft of this story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

As Link and Revali were travelling onwards to the Zora's Domain, so too were the pair of Zelda and Urbosa travelling northwards across the great plains of Hyrule in the direction of the craggy landscape that made up the Eldin province, where Death Mountain stood tall and proud, reaching to heavens with its orange glow. They had travelled to the left of the swamplands, cutting across the rightmost tip of Central Hyrule.

Zelda couldn't help but let her gaze wander westward towards the grand Hyrule Castle and the sprawling town that surrounded its lofty walls. Her home, yet in a way her prison.

Urbosa was riding alongside her, having obtained the third horse from the Gerudo Stables back in the desert. She seemed naturally apt at riding the steed, taking great pride in herself as she galloped just ahead of Zelda, ready to protect her from any and all attackers who may attempt to prey on the lives of the innocent.

She was glad to have such a powerful protector by her side, someone whom she could trust and confide in unlike her assigned protector in Link. It wasn't that Link was bad or harsh, or even rude. No, Link was a perfect warrior and soldier by all accounts. But every time she looked at him, every time he protected her from whatever dangers were befalling her with that damned sword of his...

She could feel the knots beginning to tie in her stomach, her hands clutching at her mount's reigns ever so slightly more tightly, her expression furrowing into a frown. She did not need his protection. She was a descendant of the Goddess Hylia herself, gifted with abilities that were wielded by Princess's past, or so she was told so very often. She was the key to stopping the Calamity...

And yet her powers refused to show.

But Link. Link had the Master Sword, had proven himself as worthy of wielding the sacred blade. He had gone through many trials and tribulations to obtain the power to wield the legendary artefact that was known to many as Evil's Bane and was a living success story. Many had perished trying to draw the blade and he survived. Her father absolutely loved to mention Link's triumphs time and time again, as if that by battering her with the knowledge that if Link could fulfil his part of the prophecy, that she should have been able to as well.

That knight, her comrade, was a reminder of everything that she had yet to achieve, everything that she could not achieve.

And she hated it.

"You're thinking, Little Bird," The teasing tones of Urbosa stated calmly, Zelda blinking in surprise before noticing the Gerudo woman right beside her, their horses clopping together in sync.

"There's a lot to think about," Zelda admitted, looking ahead on the road.

"You've got too much pressure on you," Urbosa sighed. Had they been standing, she would have her hands on her hips or a hand to her forehead in irritation, Zelda was sure.

"It is nothing I can't handle," Zelda replied adamantly, shaking away some of the darker thoughts in her mind. Though thinking about Link did remind her... "Do you think they were upset at our plan?"

"Did you see the look on Feather's face?" Urbosa asked with a chuckle. "That Rito is probably seething with rage and Link looked absolutely terrified."

Zelda's face turned sour at that, though there was a concern in her voice as she said, "Perhaps it was uncalled for."

Urbosa waved off her comment though with a hearty laugh. "Uncalled for?! My dear Zelda, that was the best decision you've made yet. And with a storm brewing near the Lanayru Mountains, my you were clever."

Zelda couldn't help but stifle a giggle at that. She knew that with the weather as it was, Revali would certainly have trouble flying and potentially need to rely on Link, which was exactly why she worked with Urbosa to split the group up. Those two needed to talk out their problems or at least depend on each other for a while to build a sense of camaraderie between them.

Though she was saddened at having to sacrifice precious time with Vah Ruta and Vah Rudania due to their change in plans. She would very much have liked to see how Mipha and Daruk were working with their Divine Beasts, but with them needing to meet Daruk at a stable far from the mountain and then head southwards for Mipha, it seemed unlikely that she would get the chance to visit the Beasts any time soon.

"So tell me more about Daruk," Urbosa demanded casually as they began to cross a bridge that led towards Lanayru and the fork in the road that took them to the Eldin and Akkala regions.

"Oh, Daruk is absolutely brilliant," She exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face as she began to explain the leader of the Gorons. "He is an extremely gentle soul when it comes to personalities, but is a powerful force in battle. He reminds me of an Uncle I used to know, always looking out for everyone in and ensuring nobody is upset or in any danger."

"Sounds gullible to me," Urbosa drawled.

Zelda shook her head. "Quite the opposite in fact. He has a care-free nature about him, but I think he's the most observant of the Champions when it comes to more... sensitive matters."

Urbosa's furrowed brow and crinkled nose clued Zelda into the fact that she was definitely feeling a little threatened by these words, as if Daruk was challenging her position as the adult of the group. She couldn't help but let out a laugh at this, much to Urbosa's irritation. Though the Gerudo woman plastered on a fake smile before asking very carefully, "Are you saying that I'm not able to breach sensitive subjects?"

Zelda's eyes widened at the implications, shaking her head hard. "O-Oh of course not! You helped me out so very much in Gerudo Town, I jus-"

"It's alright Zelda," Urbosa interrupted, flashing a confident grin. "I'm not upset." She turned her head forwards to look at the road, the bridge they had crossed now a ways behind them. "After all, us women know more than any man anyway."

"R-Right," Zelda cautiously laughed, not exactly agreeing with her friend but not wanting to disagree at the same time.

* * *

The next hour of their journey was spent with Urbosa attempting to point out all the different sights that could be seen on the path leading to the Foothill Stable. They got a glimpse of Akkala Castle, an ancient stronghold that stood at the peak of the mountains that separated Hyrule from one of the more unruly places in the country. Akkala's region was not known for its kindness, lynels and other creatures having been spotted across the landscapes by travellers.

Zelda was definitely feeling nervous for their eventual venture to the Spring of Power which lay deep within the region. But the Champions were strong, they just needed to work as a unit.

Finally, just as the sun was high in the sky, around two in the afternoon, they set eyes on the Foothill Stable, a quaint stable that was set up near a large pool of Goron Hot Springs. Being so close to Death Mountain, the surrounding areas had become something of a tourist spot for travellers who were looking to ease their weary minds.

Urbosa noticed Zelda gazing longingly at the pools, tapping a hand to her shoulder as they reached the stable and pulled in to a stop. "We can visit these hot springs when we next visit."

Zelda furrowed her brow in thought at that though, the mental planning for a hot springs trip sliding into her mental notes. "Well, next time we'll pass here is during my pilgrimage to the Spring of Power, but Father will want us to cross this place without delay-"

"One dip in the hot springs won't kill him," Urbosa shrugged, hopping off of her horse to look around. "Now then, where is this man of ours?"

Zelda glanced around the Stable, though there was no sign of the Goron Champion anywhere. Not in the hot springs, nor inside. Clearly, they had arrived early and would have to wait a little while, much to her displeasure. She enjoyed the trip to the stables with Urbosa but sitting around doing nothing wasn't what they set out to do. The Champions needed to return to Hyrule Castle so they could be inaugurated. And soon!

Though that meant seeing her father again. She had no idea just how Revali or Daruk would handle meeting the King for the first time. His regal air was almost as off-putting as his stern temper and it was those thoughts that drew her gaze back in the direction of the castle. No matter where they were in Hyrule, the Castle Town was visible, a focal point of the entire continent.

And she was to one day be the centrepiece of that gaze, where people would look to for confidence in the future.

How could they find confidence in her if she could find no confidence in herself?

"Ah, hello, are you perhaps waiting for someone?" A voice asked, interrupting her thoughts as she tilted her head slightly to see a young stable-maid standing a few paces away. She looked curiously at Zelda, then to Urbosa who was tying up the horses so they wouldn't run away, before once again asking the question, as sweetly as possible.

"Oh- Yes, yes we are," Zelda finally nodded, brushing the windswept hair from her face as she gave the maid an attempt at a smile. Though she couldn't help that feeling bubbling beneath the surface that kept her from sounding as chipper as she wanted to seem. "We're waiting for Daruk, a Goron. Has he passed through?"

The maid shook her head. "Nope, no Gorons passed through today. If he's coming here, you could wait inside the stable. We've got a great pepper steak special that can fill you right up."

Before Zelda could reject the offer of food though, already thinking about the plentiful rations they had, Urbosa stepped in between the pair. "I think we'll take you up on that offer," She smiled, giving the maid a wink and a blue rupee. "Thank you."

The maid, whose face was now bright red from Urbosa's sheer presence, rushed off to the main stable in a flurry, Zelda looking to the retreating maid, then to her friend with an exasperated look on her face. "Urbosa, we already have enough ratio-"

"And I'd like a hot meal. We've got time, it's not like we have no funds, come on," Urbosa motioned, not taking no for an answer as the red-haired woman ushered Zelda into the quaint stable tent.

It was surprisingly taller than that stable near the Gerudo Desert, with the structure being widened for what she assumed was the Goron clientele who came down from the Mountains from time to time. She could see various beds set up in the corner to the left, while to the right there were a large variety of tables at which a few passing travellers were having their lunch or just resting from a day's work.

Zelda caught the attention of a few of the onlookers, as did Urbosa, but Gerudo Chief ignored them, shuffling Zelda towards a more private table at the back of the room, away from the rest of the patrons. Sitting across from each other, it took Zelda just a few moments to realize that Urbosa had purposefully done this, taking the time to study her face an ensure she was alright.

"I saw you longing for the castle," Urbosa said. "Is he that much of a burden on your mind?"

Zelda said nothing, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before replying, "...You already know the answer, Urbosa."

The Gerudo woman arched a brow but said no more. A few minutes of silence later and the maid from before served them their meal, a nice peppered steak and some greens, which Urbosa tucked into without hesitation. Zelda picked at her food with her cutlery, taking dainty bites. But there was a nervousness in her stomach that wouldn't let her eat any more.

Pushing the plate away from her ever so slightly, she managed to find a rather interesting poster about cows on the wall to avoid talking with Urbosa.

She should have known better than to ignore the Gerudo.

"You know I promised your Mother that I would ensure you lived a happy life," Urbosa stated out of the blue. Zelda didn't react, having heard about this before.

Her mother and Urbosa were childhood friends who had grown up together. Urbosa had held the old Queen of Hyrule in such high regard and had treated Zelda as her own daughter, ever since her mother's passing some years ago. Her mother had told Zelda when she was a child that one day the royal powers would awaken in her and help to save the land, but unlike the King, the Queen nurtured Zelda's talents, allowing her to focus on whatever she wanted.

That freedom vanished when she passed and so too did that happiness that she felt.

"What would your Mother say if she saw you looking so glum right now?" Urbosa asked, leaning ever so slightly across the table, her jewellery clattering as she did so.

Zelda couldn't answer, scrunching her eyes closed and moving her eyes from the wall to her lap. She knew very well what her mother would say. She would tell Zelda to cheer up and smile, to remember all the good things about her life. To remember that she had a family who cared for her... Or so she used to have. Now, she had no family. Just a King who had no time to be a Father.

She wasn't even allowed to pursue her academic interests in her field research or her interest in the guardian creatures that had been unveiled across Hyrule. At most, she was allowed to check on the Divine Beasts as the best non-Shiekah expert, but with Rudania and Ruta being skipped, even that luxury was being lost. All to ensure they got to the castle on time...

Urbosa let out a small sigh, bringing a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Little Bird, your mother is proud of you. You know that. Regardless of what path you've taken or how you're doing, she knows how hard you have worked. I bet she's conversing with your Goddess Hylia now about how brilliant you are."

"You can't say that," Zelda replied meekly, hoping the Goddess didn't see fit to smite them where they sat.

"The Gerudo don't all worship the Goddess Hylia, so I think I can be forgiven if I have my own beliefs," Urbosa shrugged, leaning back in her chair.

"Well, of course," Zelda replied sharply. "Hyrule allows and accepts all races and religions, I've been making sure of that with all of these journies."

"I suppose you have," Urbosa replied, a smile on her face. She looked down to the plate of food Zelda had barely touched, then back to the Princess. "Now eat up. I paid good rupees for that meal."

Once the meal had been eaten, with Urbosa ensuring Zelda had consumed the entire steak, Zelda had taken off towards a nearby hill where one of the stable-hands had mentioned there being another of those shrines that had been reported across the continent. The last one she had taken a look at had been near the Tabantha region when travelling to the Gerudo Desert with Revali and Link, so she was glad to take her mind off of things and allow herself this moment of research.

The shrine itself looked the same as the others that she had seen. Somewhat caked in moss and definitely not having the best of days, however, the pedestal where the Shiekah Slate was theorized to go was as clean as ever.

As with every other Shrine she visited, she placed the slate across the cool metallic surface, waiting for some sort of a reaction. And as usual, nothing happened except for a few words appearing on the slate's screen that the Princess had read so many times before.

"Only the one chosen Hero can enter these Shrines and partake the tests within," Zelda muttered to herself for, what felt like, the fifteenth time. She assumed at first that Link was the chosen Hero, yet she had gotten him to attempt to open a shrine before with no luck. But she would not give up. The Shiekah were very secretive in their designs, yet Zelda was a patient person. She would scan the slate on every Shrine in Hyrule like a madman before giving up the attempt to unlock its secrets.

Impa, the head Shiekah of Hyrule Castle and the young leader of Kakariko Village, had suggested that these Shrines held an importance that was yet to be discovered and to always keep an eye on them. She only hoped that one day a Shrine would open soon.

But for now, a picture would have to do. She snapped a quick photo of the Shrine for documentation, before glancing at the magnificent view of the hot springs, Death Mountain and the plains that stretched towards Central Hyrule. Raising her camera, she couldn't help herself, not noticing the soft smile on her features as she snapped a few panoramic shots of the view.

It was only as she finished her last picture that she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, back near the stable. Craning her neck, she could see coming down the road a very fast moving creature. And when she realized exactly what it was, her eyes lit up.

* * *

Meanwhile, Urbosa had decided to wait by the stable, letting the Princess wander off to the Shrine to give her some space after that very cramped, very awkward meal. It had ended well enough but Urbosa knew when a woman needed some time to herself and Zelda was certainly in one of those moods. She couldn't help but let out a small sigh of frustration at the Princess's closed off demeanour.

That bastard of a King had clearly been placing too much pressure on Zelda. And unlike the Princess, Urbosa had also noticed the strain on Link as well. She had spent a week with the knight at this point and from what she could tell, he was extremely loyal to the Princess and was ready to stop Urbosa from leaving when they suggested splitting up.

At the same time, the Link who talked and the Link who fought were two very different people. The Link who protected the Princess and fought the monsters of the land was a cold soldier who had been trained to do his job and feel nothing for it. The Link who she had come to know in their brief time was a kinder soul who didn't want to spend his whole life fighting. He enjoyed talking with the others and was trying to become friends with Revali as well - Thought that pompous bird was certainly making things difficult.

But there was definitely some weight beneath the surface of those blue eyes of his.

And she didn't even want to get into Revali. Having grilled Zelda and Link for information about his past, she'd discovered that he had walled himself off from everyone else, becoming a very independent soul, who had no desire to take from others or rely on others. That was something she knew could hurt the team of Champions in the future, so she hoped that they would be able to get through to Revali at some point and show him that relying on others was not a weakness, as much as it was a strength.

But Urbosa knew that she could only help so much. Revali would need to be willing to help himself, just like the Princess needed to allow herself to feel comfortable and happy, or how Link needed to know that he wasn't alone to bear the burden of the wielder of the Master Sword.

She really was the mother of the group, wasn't she...

It only occurred to her at that moment that aside from herself and Daruk, the Champions were all extremely young for their age. She didn't know how to feel about that. They had so much pressure on their shoulders and she wondered just how well this rag-tag group would hold it together and work as a unit, following the inauguration.

And she hoped she would be able to keep them all from slipping through the cracks. If the Champion's co-operation kept Zelda's spirits up, she would do whatever was needed to get them to work well.

She was lost so deep in her thoughts that she failed to notice the low rumbling of the earth until a large yellow spherical creature rolled across the nearby hill, causing her to glance up in surprise. Said creature was speedily moving towards the stable, some of the patrons giving brief glances before going back to their business. It must not be an odd site for them, she mused.

It was very clear that this creature was a Goron, and as the supposed Goron came to a stop and unfurled from its spot, she knew exactly who she was looking at.

Daruk of the Gorons was the current Chief of their Tribe, the boss of Death Mountain and he certainly looked it. Taller than the average Goron, who towered over her as he stepped forwards, she was definitely impressed. He sported massive spikes of white hair across his entire visage, as a beard, his hair and a moustache. It was quite a hairstyle if she said so herself. Aside from this, he was clad as most Gorons were with a rope loincloth, some decorative manacles and a chain wrapped around him that was attached to what seemed like an extremely large sword.

Though it seemed more like a great-sword to the Gerudo woman, who arched her eyes at him with curiosity. This Goron was certainly strong, she was sure of that.

"Well met, well met!" Daruk boomed, his bright blue eyes trailing across her with a mirth alighted within them. "You must be the Gerudo Champion, at least I hope you are. We don't get many Gerudo in these parts, especially none so well dressed."

Urbosa didn't miss a bit, leaning forwards from where she was against the wall of the stables, "I am Urbosa of the Gerudo. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but you certainly exceed expectations." She couldn't help the smirk on her face as Daruk gave her a mystified look.

"Ah, Daruk, I'm glad to see you!" Zelda's voice rang out, the young girl rushing towards them, Shiekah Slate in hand as she descended from the nearby hill to greet the Goron boss, who beamed from ear to ear as he saw the Princess.

"Princess!?" He roared with delight. "I got your message and headed here as soon as I could, there a change of plans, I'm guessing?"

At this, Zelda gave a curt nod. "I'm afraid we won't have time for me to analyze your handling of the Divine Beast. We have need to return to Hyrule Castle as soon as we are able. Father's orders."

Though Zelda missed the way Daruk's brows furrowed ever so slightly at the mention of the King, Urbosa definitely saw it. So he didn't hold the King in high esteem either.

"Sounds good," The Goron finally shrugged, looking in the direction of the castle. "Where's the Rito Champion? Isn't he with you?"

"We sent Link and Revali on a mission to retrieve Mipha of the Zora for us. Figured they needed the time to bond," Urbosa chuckled. "Let's just say they don't get along very well."

Daruk didn't really know what to say, before tentatively settling on, "I guess I'll see for myself when we meet up with them. They can't be all bad though if they're Champions."

"Oh believe me," Urbosa drawled. "They certainly can."

" _Anyway,_ with you here now Daruk, we can finally go to meet the other Champions," Zelda announced, her voice sounding chipper than usual, probably in an attempt to speed the group along before the conversation got any more awkward. "They should be meeting us at the Inogo Bridge by Zora's Domain, which should not take very long to reach as we're travelling downhill."

"Nice, I'll be able to catch some speed," Daruk grinned, glancing in the direction of the Lanayru Province, a gleam in his eyes.

"I doubt an old man like you can handle such a distance," Urbosa teased, walking past the Goron with a coy smile as she moved over to the stables where the horses were staying. "Try and prove me wrong, I dare you."

At this point, Daruk really did not know what to say, his mouth curling into a confused frown, much to Zelda's amusement. She knew exactly what Urbosa was doing after all. Daruk was just the new victim of Urbosa's relentless teasing and she could already hear Urbosa's voice in her mind going, "He really does have rocks for brains, how hilarious," Followed by her trademark regal laughter.

"O-Old Man?" Daruk finally stammered out, glancing down at the Princess. "I'm not that old, am I Princess?"

Zelda only shrugged, genuinely unsure as to exactly how the Gorons actually aged. Did they even age at all? She assumed Daruk was fairly old, going by his title of Chief, and his rather bushy beard supported her claims, but she didn't feel comfortable asking him his age, given despite their few meetings they still barely knew each other aside from the bare minimum to start a conversation.

"Well, I guess I'll have to prove it," Daruk stated, glancing over to where Urbosa was saddling their two horses up.

"Good luck then," Zelda replied slyly, attempting and failing to sound like Urbosa as she walked over to said Gerudo Champion who looked ready to laugh herself to death at what she'd just witnessed.

This was going to be a long ride back to Inogo.

* * *

When Zelda's group arrived at Inogo Bridge, the first thing they saw was Link's horse tied to one of the posts, Urbosa hopping off her own mount to inspect the horse and untie it from its spot to allow it to graze. She quickly noticed the note that had been left just beneath the base of the bridge, explaining that Link and Revali had chosen to travel on foot due to the treacherous conditions and honestly, she couldn't have agreed more with their decision.

Leaving Death Mountain meant entering the storm-ridden Lanayru and with the rain came a very slow ride down the hills, much to Daruk's dismay as he wished to keep stride with the Princess for protection but also wished to roll down the slopes leading to the bridge at high speeds. First world Goron problems if Urbosa had ever heard them.

Luckily, the bridge was somewhat shielded from the rain as due to the wind the droplets were keeping the area under the cliff completely clear.

"So they should be back soon?" Zelda asked Urbosa, after she relayed the message.

"Indeed, Little Bird. The note says to wait for them and they'll be here as soon as they can make it, given the conditions." Urbosa glanced upwards to the cliffs leading to the domain, those winding roads snaking in and out of the mountains, a path of many dangers. "Those two are capable. Revali may be a little green, but that's why he's gaining experience."

"You never mentioned Revali was a newbie," Daruk rumbled from his sitting spot right up against the cliff. The Goron clearly was not enjoying the rain as it apparently led to aching joints due to how rocks and water don't tend to mix very well.

Urbosa nodded. "His first battle was a Moblin camp on the way to the Gerudo Desert, according to the Princess."

"Indeed," Zelda confirmed. "Link mentioned it to me after the battle. Revali had a moment of weakness, but powered through it after that initial shock."

"One battle won't take away that sinking feeling you get when killing another creature though," Urbosa explained grimly, settling against the cliff with the other two. "When you kill a monster for the first time, the look in the monster's eyes as it dies, the blood that no doubt was spilt, it all hits you in an instant."

"Throws you off your game," Daruk agreed. "But you've gotta remember, those monsters would kill you and not care. So kill 'em first."

"I see..." Zelda muttered. "...It does not help matters that Revali comes from a very quiet village. The most they attack are the fish of the lakes around them."

"Feathers'll be fine," Urbosa shrugged. "He's going through what we all went through at one point. He may be an ass, but he's a determined ass."

"Gwhahaha, well put Urbosa!" Daruk roared with laughter.

"Do we want to know what you three are finding so absolutely hilarious right now?" A familiar voice called out, irritation in his tone, the three glancing back towards the bridge.

For there, walking across the walkway, were the three remaining Champions. Link walked at the head of the group, a rather weary look on his face as he raised a hand in greeting, water dripping from his sleeves. Revali was to his left, feathers soaked through, his eyes staring at the three newcomers, resting on Daruk for a few moments as he registered a new Champion was among them. And to Link's right, the young red-scaled Princess of the Zora, Mipha was walking daintily, her Trident in one hand, the water shimmering off of her as if the rain did not affect her, and given she was a Zora that was most certainly the case.

Princess Zelda's eyes lit up, however, when she caught sight of the Zora Princess, exclaiming, "Mipha!"

Hopping up from her space by the cliff, she ran towards them to meet them halfway, right as they came under the protection of the cliffside from the elements. Mipha's golden eyes widened in surprise at such a vibrant greeting from the Princess, though she quickly regained that composure to smile at Zelda as she approached. "Princess, it is good to see you again, I was so confused when I saw Link and Revali, but not yourself or... Lady Urbosa, I presume?" She finished, glancing to the Gerudo woman, who was now walking up towards them, Daruk close behind.

"Indeed, I am Urbosa of the Gerudo, well met," She greeted, holding out her hand to the young Zora who carefully took her hand and shook it kindly. "The old man's Daruk."

"Old man?" Revali repeated, arching a brow at the Goron. "He certainly has the beard for it."

"Oho, and you must be Revali of the Rito," Daruk greeted, his voice cheerful despite Revali's clear snip at him. "I hope we can all work together to defeat Calamity Ganon."

Link, meanwhile, had retreated ever so slightly to the horses as everyone began to chatter, wanting to keep out of the conversation until all the greetings were over. He really wasn't in the mood to talk after the walk back from the Domain. They had encountered to different Lizalfos groups on their way back and while they were all safe from harm, the actual act of fighting had left him feeling rather sore combined with the weather. Mipha was great at healing wounds, not so much at restoring energy.

And having to deal with Revali all day had certainly not improved his mood. Though they were getting along better if that was any consolation. The brief bickering and snide remarks from both sides of the feud certainly felt a bit more jovial this time around, much to Link's happiness. Yes, Revali was tiresome, bothersome, arrogant and a jerk, but they were working together and he couldn't help but crave that friendship with another guy of his age. You just didn't get many friends being a soldier, after all.

He wasn't about to be picky about it at least.

"Seems like it's getting a little late," Daruk explained, Link glancing back at the group to see the tall Goron looking up to the sky.

"Perhaps it might be best to camp here for the night," Urbosa announced as a suggestion. "I understand we need to reach Castle Town soon as the King wants us there soon, but I can already see those three look ready to drop." Her hand pointed straight to Mipha, Revali and Link.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly inconvenience you all-"

"Oh please, I could travel for days without rest-"

In an instant, Urbosa was beside the pair of them, glancing straight down at Revali's side. "You were attacked by something, your tunic is scratched and torn near your chest, by your left wing."

"W-Well yes, we had a spot of trouble on the trip to the Domain, that was all," Revali stammered, glancing down at his ripped tunic in surprise. Almost like he hadn't noticed the tear himself.

"And how about the blood on Mipha's Trident, right on the prongs there," Urbosa continued, looking at Mipha's weapon, then down to her.

Mipha looked to the ground in embarrassment, muttering a soft, "We were attacked on the way here..."

"Castle Town's pretty far, and both the Little Guys seem exhausted," Daruk added on, pointing to Revali and Link, the former flaring up instantly.

"L-Little!? Are you trying to insult my height? I am not dealing with this right now!" Revali snapped, his feathers bristling in annoyance as he turned and walked off towards a quiet corner of the cliff, fuming.

Zelda apologetically glanced at Daruk, muttering a quiet, "He's sensitive about his height as he's smaller than the average Rito."

"Small size, big ego," Urbosa stated with an eye-roll. "Feathers is a drama queen, he'll live."

"Fine, we'll stay here," Zelda sighed, walking over to drier land as she began to unpack a few belongings. "But we leave first thing in the morning!"

Mipha quickly moved over to help Zelda out, while Urbosa and Daruk walked off to their own spot to chat, so Link took it upon himself to attempt to sort out the bothered Rito who was fuming in the corner.

Revali had folded his wings up and was glaring down at his torn tunic when he noticed Link approach, letting out a snide, "What do you want?"

Raising his hands in surrender, he replied with a calm, "To see if you're alright. And to make sure you don't try to kill Daruk in his sleep." His joke got a slight crinkle of a smile from the bird, who glanced over to him with a questioning glance.

"Look, about today," He began, much to Link's surprise. "I did not need your help, nor want it... But I would be a fool if I said I wasn't grateful..."

"You really don't need to say that Revali," Link muttered back to him, a small smile on his face. He really didn't want the thanks of the Rito, it felt so out of character, he wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Clearly I do. There's no telling what would have happened had you not supported me for as long as you did on the road today. Both before the incident and after..."

Link couldn't help but chuckle, "It's fine. I understand what you're saying. Regardless of our opinions of each other in the past week, you're a comrade in arms, I'd rather get along with whoever I'm going to be working with in the future."

"I make no promises," Revali replied back, though there was a slight curling of his beak that suggested he was teasing.

At least one thing went well today.


End file.
